Brad Kahlhamer at Garth Greenan Gallery

Human or animal, alive, dead or in spirit form, the most haunting and memorable aspect of Brad Kahlhamer’s current solo show at Garth Greenan Gallery are the many faces that populate his graphically strong paintings.  In this untitled canvas, several heads have hair that extends down and out like roots, joining stylized figures and a modified dream catcher to create connections across space and between characters.  This half-human, half raptor individual appears tranquil but the figures around her suggest intense inner life.  (On view in Chelsea through June 18th).

Brad Kahlhamer, detail from Untitled, mixed media on canvas, 104 ¾ x 138 inches.
Brad Kahlhamer, Untitled, mixed media on canvas, 104 ¾ x 138 inches.

Natalie Frank at Salon94

Tiny at just 8 x 8 inches, this underpainted and glazed ceramic sculpture has a powerful presence in Natalie Frank’s solo exhibition at Salon94’s Lower East Side location.  ‘Woman, Bride,’ is one of many female figures depicted in paper pulp paintings or ceramic sculpture who appears to know her own mind and is prepared to use it.  Whether Frank is partnering with Ballet Austin on a performance, illustrating books with her expressive paintings, or crafting sculpture, the dynamism and daring of her imagined characters stands out.  (On view on the Lower East Side through May 22nd.)

Natalie Frank, Woman, Bride, glazed ceramic, 8 x 8 x 1 inches, 2021.

Shari Mendelson at Tibor de Nagy Gallery

The centuries and cultural divides melt away like hot glue in Brooklyn sculptor Shari Mendelson’s replicas of ancient artifacts from China, Egypt, Mesopotamia and elsewhere at Tibor de Nagy Gallery.  Using plastic bottles gathered near her studio, Mendelson cuts and glues together forms, using acrylic resin to make patinas that transform trash into ancient artworks.  Here, she creates a Tang Dynasty court lady from recognizable consumer plastics, subtly nodding to the material’s long life.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Dec 5th).

Shari Mendelson, Praying Lotus Woman, repurposed plastic and mixed media, 17 x 10 x 11 inches, 2020.

Alice Beasley in ‘In Her Hands’ at Robert Mann Gallery

Congresswoman Barbara Lee literally opens her hands to the issues that matter to her constituents in this quilted artwork by Bay Area artist Alice Beasley.  Beasley’s tribute is a standout in Robert Mann Gallery’s summer group show ‘In Her Hands’ (curated by Orly Cogan and Julie Peppito), an exhibition that celebrates female political leaders.  (On view in Chelsea through August 17th).

Alice Beasley, Barbara Lee Speaks for Me, cotton and silk fabrics, machine appliqued, 62.5 x 41 inches, 2018.

Roy Lichtenstein at Castelli Gallery

Like finding shapes in the clouds or interpreting a Rorschach inkblot, Roy Lichtenstein’s brushstroke head sculptures from 1987 build a portrait from a few well-placed marks. Though she’s derived from Pop Art and Abstract Expressionist painting techniques, this blond muse rejects painting altogether, manifesting as a 3-D bronze sculpture. (At Castelli Gallery through Jan 28th).

Roy Lichtenstein, Brushstroke Head II, painted and patinated bronze, 28 7/8 x 13 ¼ inches, 1987.
Roy Lichtenstein, Brushstroke Head II, painted and patinated bronze, 28 7/8 x 13 ¼ inches, 1987.