Martin Klimas at Foley Gallery

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Like British YouTube phenomena The Slow Mo Guys, German artist Martin Klimas recognizes the power of slowing down a dramatic event to stimulate our curiosity.  Both have recently captured paint flying up from the surface of a speaker (the subject of Klimas’ show at Foley Gallery).  But selections from Klimas’ previous body of work – depicting smashing figurines, on view in the back room – steal the show by adding the suggestion of accident and the happy intervention of chance.  (At Foley Gallery on the Lower East Side through Nov 3rd).  

Martin Klimas, Untitled (Pink and Green), pigment print, 2006.

Richard Serra, Inside Out at Gagosian

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Renowned American sculptor Richard Serra’s exhibitions at Gagosian Gallery’s 21st and 24th Street spaces in Chelsea opened this weekend, immediately proving to be the must-see shows of the moment.  Though the 24th Street installation departs from his previous body of curving steel plates with its angular severity (watch for photos in upcoming days), the 21st Street place offers a single, huge, undulating steel installation that will delight fans of Serra’s more recent spiraling sculptures.

Richard Serra, installation view of ‘Inside Out’ at Gagosian Gallery, Oct 2013.

Alexis Rockman at Sperone Westwater

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Inspired by a news story about a dolphin that swam into Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal and died the same day from the pollution, New York artist Alexis Rockman conjured this vision of the canal as a cauldron of contamination in which the strong adapt to survive.  (At Sperone Westwater on the Lower East Side through Nov 2nd).  

Alexis Rockman, Gowanus, oil on wood, 2013.

Susan Siegel at the 2013 Fashion District Arts Festival

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One of the highlights for me of last weekend’s 2013 Fashion District Arts Festival was discovering Susan Siegel’s fantastical oil paintings of domesticated animals playing the role of well-appointed Gainsborough-like ladies and gents in lush natural settings.  Siegel excels at giving her subjects subtly readable personalities in works that gently poke fun at the excesses of 18th century self-fashioning.

Susan Siegel, Solitary Goat (Blue), 30” x 24”, oil on canvas, 2011.

Akio Takamori in ‘Clay Bodies’ at Barry Friedman, Ltd

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Seattle-based ceramic artist Akio Takamori’s sleeping women rest in round bundles on low pedestals, their eyes open slightly, seemingly observing us while we’re spying on them in their sleep.  Colorful and curvy like Matisse figures, it’s as if drawings have materialized in three dimensions.  (At Chelsea’s Barry Friedman Gallery through Oct 30th.)

Akio Takamori, Sleeping Woman in Red Dress with Orange Hair, stoneware with underglazes, 2013.

Angel Otero at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

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Brooklyn-based artist Angel Otero adds towers of ceramic and steel to a selection of his trademark textured paintings created with oil skins in his latest body of work at Chelsea’s Lehmann Maupin Gallery. Lauded for suggesting ‘secrets unearthed,’ not ruins but ‘ideas to build on, models to live by,’ in a recent piece by The Village Voice’s Christian Viveros-Faune, Otero’s fired steel and glazed porcelain ‘Slot’ sculptures evidence a remarkable drive to alter his materials.  (Through Nov 2nd).   

Angel Otero, installation view, ‘Gates of Horn and Ivory’ at Lehmann Maupin Gallery, Sept, 2013.

Jonas Wood at Lever House Art Collection

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On the heels of a well-received show at Anton Kern Gallery, LA-based painter Jonas Wood presents giant plant paintings against a wallpaper of basketballs at Lever House this fall.  This juxtaposition of sports and plants (each of which has been sampled from another source, including his own earlier paintings) brings together two of Wood’s interests and pits a speedy sport against the slower pleasures of horticulture.  (At Lever House between 53rd and 54th Streets on Park Ave through Jan 4th).

Richard Serra at Gagosian Gallery

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Tonight is the public reception for Richard Serra’s most recent New York sculpture show at Gagosian’s 21st and 24th Street spaces in Chelsea.  Glimpses like this one of the installation, which has been ongoing since Sept at least, suggest that the exhibitions will be as impressive as ever.  (Through Jan 25th).

Zhang Huan Paintings at Pace Gallery

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In a radical departure from his monochromatic paintings created by teams of assistants from ash collected from Buddhist temples, Shanghai-based artist Zhang Huan has created a series of oil paintings from his own hand of skulls meant to represent Tibetan Death masks.  Titled ‘Poppy Fields,’ they at first resemble abstract swirls of bright color, which materialize into slightly cartoonish skulls on closer inspection. (At Pace Gallery, 534 West 25th Street, through Oct 26th).  

Zhang Huan, detail from the ‘Poppy Field’ series, oil on linen, 2011.

Ashley Bickerton at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

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Bali-based American artist Ashley Bickerton has long painted tropical paradise inhabited by corrupt, non-idyllic characters.  Now, his nubile female stock character has morphed into a brightly made-up crone with a snaking tongue and necklaces of trash.  As disturbing as she is, it’s a bold new direction for Bickerton, who ups the ante with even stronger contrasts between attraction and repulsion.  (At Lehmann Maupin’s Lower East Side space through Oct 26th).   

Ashley Bickerton, MV1, aluminum, oil and acrylic paint, hair, cement, 2013 (foreground).  Ashley Bickerton, m-DNA_eve1, oil and acrylic on digital print on wood, 2013 (background).

William Pope. L at Michell-Innes & Nash

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Chicago-based conceptual artist William Pope. L continues to consider how people separate themselves by race; in this wall of drawings, potentially offensive generalizations are neutralized by their opaqueness.  (At Mitchell-Innes & Nash in Chelsea through Oct 26th).  

William Pope. L, detail view of ‘Wall of Skin Set drawings,’ 2010 – 2013.

Banksy on 24th Street in Chelsea

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Famed British street artist Banksy arrived in Chelsea on the third week of his New York City ‘residency,’ presenting a two panel collaboration with Brazilian brothers Os Gemeos inspired by the Occupy movement.  Featuring a grid of riot police joined by one person in a headscarf and a grid of masked or scarf-wearing people joined by one policeperson, it’s a straightforward juxtaposition that asks who is battling whom.   The crowd loved it.

Sven Lukin at Robert Miller Gallery

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Like graphic design come to life, Sven Lukin’s minimal abstractions involve sensuous, curving lines moving in surprising ways.  Here, an anthropomorphic, flesh colored line pushes into the gallery’s corner like it’s trying to hide, through the title, ‘SNUG,’ suggests it’s happy to do so.   (At Robert Miller Gallery in Chelsea through Oct 26th).

Sven Lukin, SNUG, enamel on Masonite and wood construction, 85 x 75 x 6 inches, 2010.

Edward Burtynsky at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery

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From the largest pilgrimage towards water in the world (see the Kumbh Mela on left) to the petered out end of the rerouted Colorado River (next right) to the greening of the Arizona desert using pivot irrigation (next right), Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky has spent the last few years documenting the human relationship to water around the world.  In turns alarming and alluring, the photos are a powerful catalyst for safeguarding one of our most precious resources.  (At Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery through Nov 2nd).  

Edward Burtynsky, installation view of ‘Water’ at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery, Sept 2013.

Aaron Spangler at Horton Gallery

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Inspired by the tradition of Americans finding escape in wilderness living, northern Minnesota-based artist Aaron Spangler’s latest work suggests totems for the modern frontiersman.  ‘Idol’ is based on the form of a boli, or sacred object, and Spangler’s abstract designs suggest a secret language between human and the divine.  (At Horton Gallery on the Lower East Side through Oct 20th).  

Aaron Spangler, Idol, carved and painted basswood with a touch of graphite, 2013.

David Adamo at Untitled Gallery

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Art applauds nature in Berlin-based American sculptor David Adamo’s hand-made, ceramic termite mounds.  Called “exceptionally appealing as objects” by the New York Times, the mini-mounds are smaller than they’d appear in nature but invite wonder at insect engineering.  (At Untitled Gallery on the Lower East Side through Oct 20th).

David Adamo, installation view of ‘David Adamo’ at Untitled Gallery, Oct 2013.  Foreground:  Untitled (Cathedral A), Zellan, 2013.

Chip Hughes at Kerry Schuss Gallery

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Chip Hughes’ meticulously rendered abstract painting, ‘Drinks’, on view at Lower East Side gallery Kerry Schuss, recalls quilting with its grid and wavy lines like piping.  But amoeba-like organic shapes, cool colors and a slick of washed out color suggest watery worlds or blown-up microbiology.  (Through Oct 20th).  

Chip Hughes, Drinks, oil on canvas, 48 x 60 inches, 2012.

Heejung Cho at Gallery Ho

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Brooklyn-based Korean sculptor Heejung Cho makes architecture into art with her series of city buildings constructed of wood at Chelsea’s Gallery Ho.  The perspective suggests a city that goes on forever, but the absence of people or other evidence of life give it an eerie emptiness. (At Gallery Ho through Oct 19th).

Heejung Cho, Two Point Perspective, plywood, wood and stain, 2013.

Ann Toebbe – Inaugural Group Exhibition at Monya Rowe

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Chicago-based artist Ann Toebbe’s flattened perspective piques interest.  Here, a TV room’s couch looks like a modernist collage while the rest of the furnishings – shelves lined with books, a rocking chair and pictures featuring nature  – suggest homey Americana. (At Monya Rowe Gallery’s inaugural exhibition at a new Lower East Side space through Oct 20th).  

Ann Toebbe, TV Room, gouache and cut paper on panel, 15 x 20 inches, 2013.

Claudia Wieser at Marianne Boesky Gallery

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Black and white photos of art historical objects, delicately crafted works on paper, minimal sculptures with metallic accents and ubiquitous mirrors lend Berlin-based artist Claudia Wieser’s first solo show at Chelsea’s Marianne Boesky Gallery a feeling of belonging to both a centuries old craft tradition and an elegant modernism.  (At Chelsea’s Marianne Boesky Gallery through Oct 19th).  

Claudia Wieser, installation view of ‘The Mirror,’ a solo exhibition with sculpture made in acrylic and/or ink on wood sculptures placed on digital prints in the foreground, all work 2013.

Joanna Malinowska at Canada Gallery

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Six tons of dirt from the Yukon and a giant papier-mache bear – part of a solo show by Polish-American artist Joanna Malinowska – launch Canada Gallery’s much-awaited new LES space.  Known to source objects from around the world (e.g. a liter of water from the Bering Straight and a sweater from Bolivian president Evo Morales in a previous piece), Malinowska gathers far flung references – intriguing if obscure – to the North American land.   (At Canada through Oct 20th).

Joanna Malinowska and Michael Crockford, Falsely Humble (background), wood, papier-mache, 2013.  Joanna Malinowska, 6 Tons of Yukon Dirt (foreground), soil from Yukon Territory, miner’s pan & bucket, 2013.

John McCracken: Works from 1963 – 2011 at David Zwirner Gallery

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Southern Californian minimalist John McCracken’s retrospective exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery is better seen in person – where sleek objects like this one (hand-crafted from plywood covered in polyester resin & fiberglass) reflect the people, objects and light conditions surrounding them.  But the color contrasts alone between the richly green ‘Minnesota’ in the foreground and the sky blue of ‘On Stream’ in this photo set the mind thinking of nature.   (At the gallery’s 20th Street location through Oct 19th.)

John McCracken, Minnesota (in the foreground), polyester resin, fiberglass and plywood, 1989.  On Stream (background left), polyester resin, fiberglass and plywood, 1998.

Kerry James Marshall at Jack Shainman Gallery

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We knew that there was big money in the art world, but Kerry James Marshall makes it explicit with his installation of coins, constructed in brass.  Though the value of the coins adds up to $.99, the piece’s title reveals that fabrication costs were approximately $136,000.  And the selling price?  The gallery “…would prefer to not have that published,” a position that reinforces Marshall’s point that culture and money are entwined, sometimes secretly. (At Chelsea’s Jack Shainman Gallery through Oct 12th).  

Kerry James Marshall, 99 cent piece (One hundred thirty six thousand dollars in change), cast resin with brass overlay, 2012.

Josh Kline at 47 Canal

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Hands down one of the best shows on in New York at the moment, Josh Kline’s latest solo show at 47 Canal on the Lower East Side includes this video, which maps Whitney Houston’s face onto an actress who brings the singer back from the grave to discuss a life shaped and destroyed by stardom.  Cynical but utterly absorbing, Kline lambastes our society’s love of celebrity and youth.  (Through Oct 13th).

Josh Kline, Forever 48 (installation), sculpture with video: plexiglass, LED lights, MDF, plywood, HD television, media player, SD card, 16 min HD video, 2013.

Maria Berrio at Praxis International Art

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Using colorfully printed Japanese paper, New York based Colombian artist Maria Berrio creates a collage homage to Gauguin’s ‘Ia Orana Maria,’ but lets nature take over in this imaginary garden bursting with flora and oversized fauna. (At Chelsea’s Praxis International Art through Oct 12th).  

Maria Berrio, El jardin de mi corazon, collage with Japanese paper and watercolor.

Jonas Wood at Anton Kern Gallery

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LA-based artist Jonas Wood builds his paintings from photos, sourcing them in the digital.  At the same time, his memories supply more details as in this painting of his father’s house in Boston in which the bird and flower paintings are depicted as Wood remembered them from childhood rather than how they actually are.  (At Chelesa’s Anton Kern Gallery through Oct 19th).  

Jonas Wood, Yellow Front Hall, oil and acrylic on canvas, 2013.

Susie MacMurray at Danese Corey Gallery

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British artist Susie MacMurray is known for elegant sculptures and installations created by repeated use of one material or form.  At Danese Corey’s new space on 22nd Street in Chelsea, she fashions household gloves into a regal dress, juxtaposing beautiful refinement and hard work (through Oct 12th).  

Susie MacMurray, A Mixture of Frailties, household gloves turned inside out, calico and dress form, 2004/2013.

Anna Booth and Nancy Cohen at Accola Griefen Gallery

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Out of a collaborative residency at Corning Museum of Glass and a joint interest in Buddhist Thangkas, glass artists Anna Booth & Nancy Cohen created ‘Between Seeing and Knowing,’ a wall installation made of glass that evokes the forms of composition of a painting. (At Chelsea’s Accola Griefen Gallery through Oct 12th).  

Anna Boothe & Nancy Cohen, Between Seeing and Knowing, installation view, Sept 2013, Accola Griefen Gallery.

Barbara Takenaga at DC Moore Gallery

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Barbara Takenaga’s latest abstract paintings continue to evoke the natural world in bold colors and mesmerizing patterns; here, a piece titled ‘Funnel’ suggests the strange lights and form of a deep sea creature crossed with a swing carousel at night.  (At Chelsea’s DC Moore Gallery through Oct 5th).  

Barbara Takenaga, Red Funnel, acrylic on linen, 2013.

Sungsic Moon at Doosan Gallery, New York

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Korean artist Sungsic Moon’s skinny characters look unsubstantial, but their range of emotional states – from mournful to ecstatic – is powerful.  Here, a young woman walks the line between having and losing control as her fingers snap, arms pump, and her hair and scream look like she’s entering a primal state. (At Chelsea’s Doosan Gallery through Oct 4th)  

Sungsic Moon, Dancing Girl, acrylic on paper, 2013.

Barry McGee at Cheim & Read Gallery

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These days, San Francisco street art legend Barry McGee is more likely to show his work in galleries and museums than outdoors, but his installation in the back room of Cheim & Read Gallery in Chelsea – a collection of around 400 elements bulging off the wall – pops with a white-cube defying energy.  (Through Oct 26th).  

Barry McGee, Untitled, 400 elements; ink, graphite, acrylic, screenprint, photographs on paper, found objects and frames, 2005-2013.

Julie Becker Sculpture at GreeneNaftali Gallery

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Julie Becker’s mixed media sculpture from 2000 brings a slice of LA into NYC by suggesting a block of West Sunset Blvd complete with weeds, a lost slipper and a drawing advertising a street art competition.  It’s a quirky, anything’s possible kind of city view that’s fast disappearing from Chelsea.  (At Chelsea’s GreeneNaftali Gallery through October 5th.)  

Julie Becker, 1910 West Sunset Blvd, mixed media sculpture, 2000.