Tag: western

Alexander Harrison in ‘New Old Histories’ at Kasmin Gallery

Paused in mid-action and wearing tattered clothing, this cowboy may look worse for wear, but he appears to have come out on top.  What he’s literally on top of – a platform hiding three individuals with huge eyes – suggests the drama isn’t quite over.  Alexander Harrison’s cowboy – backlit by a fiery red sky and composed of dynamic, bending limbs – is a highlight of Kasmin Gallery’s group show ‘New Old Histories;’ in one action-packed moment, Harrison frustrates the typical Western good guy vs bad guy dichotomy (is he the law or is the law after him?) and leaves us wanting more.  (On view in Chelsea through June 26th.  Masks and social distancing required.)

Alexander Harrison, Beyond the Horizon, acrylic on panel, 47 ½ x 47 ½ inches.

Kader Attia at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

In an eighteen-screen installation set in a warren of cubicles at Lehmann Maupin Gallery, French-Algerian artist Kader Attia explores western vs non-western approaches to mental health in a series of monologues by European and African health professionals. The dehumanizing office environment contrasts the intimacy of each screening space, resulting in an unsettling experience that invites new discoveries. (At Lehmann Maupin’s Lower East Side location through March 4th).

Kader Attia, Reason’s Oxymorons, 18 films and installation of cubicles, duration variable, 13-25 minutes, 2015.
Kader Attia, Reason’s Oxymorons, 18 films and installation of cubicles, duration variable, 13-25 minutes, 2015.

Adriana Varejao at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

Brazilian artist Adriana Varejao explores the complicated relationship between western and indigenous cultures with a series of self-portraits that blend Native South American and mid-20th century minimalist aesthetics. Here, wavy feathered plumes contrast a stark geometric stripe running the length of her face and clouds of dots over her eyes. (At Lehmann Maupin Gallery on the Lower East Side through June 16th).

Adriana Varejao, Kindred Spirits IV (detail), oil on canvas, 4 parts, each 20.47 x 17.91 x 1.38 inches, 2015.
Adriana Varejao, Kindred Spirits IV (detail), oil on canvas, 4 parts, each 20.47 x 17.91 x 1.38 inches, 2015.

Joachim Koester at Greene Naftali

Brooklyn-based Danish artist Joachim Koester channels the wild west in a distinctly avant-garde way in his absorbing video installation, The Place of Dead Roads, in which dancers dressed as grubby gunslingers move around an eerie boarded-up space as if locked in a tense shootout, all without weapons or an obvious enemy. (At Chelsea’s GreenNaftali through Feb 14th).

Joachim Koester, The Place of Dead Roads, HD video installation, color, sound, 33:30 min, 2013.