Inspired by the Fujianese practice of adding an annual coat of lacquer to your coffin in old age, Beijing-based painter Wang Guangle adds layers of paint to his ‘Coffin Paint’ canvases to signify the passage of time. (At Pace Gallery, 510 West 25th Street, through Nov 1st).
Wang Guangle, (detail) Coffin Paint 140404, acrylic on canvas, 2014.
Art and science meet in Alyson Shotz’s otherworldly steel wire and glass bead sculpture at Derek Eller Gallery. Titled ‘Invariant Interval’ after the spaces between coordinates in a grid that measures spacetime, the piece achieves Shotz’s goal of “…investigating the basic forces that shape our entire physical and metal experience of life” while managing to look gorgeous at the same time. (In Chelsea through Nov 8th).
Alyson Shotz, installation view of Invariant Interval, stainless steel wire, glass beads and aluminum collars, 98 x 104 x 230 inches, Derek Eller Gallery, Oct 2014.
Beijing-based artist Liu Bolin pictures himself in this larger-than-life sculpture going through airport security. Contrary to the freedom of flying, the artist describes this gesture as abandoning independence and offering a prayer for safety. Covered in designs based on snack food packaging, Liu Bolin simultaneously suggests identity further compromised. (At Chelsea’s Klein Sun Gallery through Nov 1st).
Liu Bolin, Security Check No 1, acrylic on copper, 80 ¾ x 37 3/8 x 21 5/8 inches, 2014.
Titled ‘Chuck’ after his travelling salesman father, Houston-based artist Jeremy Deprez’s huge abstract painting takes its cue from a popular vertical stripe pattern in men’s dress shirts. Sized XXL (at over 14 feet long), the painting is a tour de force of optical illusion and gives new meaning to the concept of power dressing. (At Zach Feuer Gallery in Chelsea, through Nov 8th).
Untitled (Chuck), acrylic on canvas, 111 x 176 1/2, 2014.
This small exhibition of work by the Chinese dissident artist Ai Wei Wei at Chelsea’s Chambers Fine Art shows the artist continuing to work on themes related to the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan province. Here, a marble rendering of a twisted piece of metal rebar is placed on each casket, acting as memorial to the thousands of children who died when their shoddily constructed schools collapsed. (Through Nov 1st).
Ai Wei Wei, installation of ‘Rebar Casket and Marble Rebar,’ nos I – VIII, huali wood, marble and foam, 2014.
Black, yellow, red and white rectangles in Sadie Benning’s ‘Julie’s Rug’ painting suggest a national flag but the title refers to artist, activist and Group Material co-founder Julie Ault. Part of Benning’s solo show ‘Patterns’ at Callicoon Fine Arts on the Lower East Side, the handmade forms zing with energy and import. (Through Oct 26th).
Sadie Benning, Julie’s Rug, medite, aqua resin, casein and acrylic, 60 5/8 x 70 3/8 inches, 2014.
Inspired by the fact that the Drawing Center’s 1866 SoHo building originally housed a loom company, Chicago-based artist Anne Wilson’s installation is an artwork being gradually created by winding and crossing thread around the gallery’s columns. (Through December 14th).
Anne Wilson, To Cross (Walking New York), site-specific performance and sculpture, 2014.
Though German artist Tomma Abts makes no use of source material, preferring to conjure shapes and forms from an intuitive trial and error process, the shapes in ‘Fenke’ brings to mind origami forms, unwrapped packaging and more. Playing with our perception of depth, she even slices a corner from this soothingly green canvas. (At David Zwirner Gallery through Oct 25th).
Tomma Abts, Fenke, acrylic and oil on canvas, 18 7/8 x 15 inches, 2014.
Jane Corrigan blends average looks and extraordinary hair in portraits of young female athletes, finding moments of wonder in the everyday. (At Kerry Schuss on the Lower East Side through Oct 26th).
Jane Corrigan, Windbreaker (Adidas), oil on linen, 26.5 x 31 inches, 2014.
Whether he’s building up a support from layers of paper or putting down thick strokes of paint, American painter Stanley Lewis constructs heavily considered, highly absorbing scenes from the world around him. (At Betty Cuningham Gallery, now located on the Lower East Side, through October 25th).
Stanley Lewis, (detail from) Boat on the Beach, Lake Chautauqua, oil on canvas, 2013.
Mass groups of nude men and women, pawns in a larger social design, populate European-American artist Irving Norman’s work from the late 60s to 80s, now on view at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery. Here, futuristic planes packed with passengers shoot out polluting smoke as they blast ominously forward. (In Chelsea through October 25th).
Irving Norman, Airport, oil on canvas, 92 x 119 ¾ inches, 1972.
Ricco Maresca’s excellent ‘Body Electric’ group exhibition of vintage and designed-for-the-body contemporary art takes tattooing to a new level. Here, a sampling of work from Colin Dale (top left), Jacqueline Spoerle (bottom right and left) and Duke Riley (top right) combine detail, skill and originality. (In Chelsea through Oct 25th).
Installation view of ‘Body Electric,’ including work by Colin Dale, Jacqueline Spoerle and Duke Riley at Ricco Maresca, Oct, 2014.
Famous for photographing evidence of cultural mixing/cross-over, artist duo Robbins and Becher travelled the country shooting images of Ten Commandment sculptures, some of which have sparked controversy when placed on public property. Here, the world’s largest version features letters five feet high. (At Chelsea’s Sonnabend Gallery through Oct 25th.)
Andrea Robbins and Max Becher, Fields of the Wood, Murphy, North Carolina.
The title of New York sculptor Mark di Suvero’s latest monumental steel sculpture, ‘Luney Breakout,’ says it all. Resembling a zany all-elbows-and-knees character with wild swooping hair, the 22 foot tall piece is either mad, exuberant or both. (At Paula Cooper Gallery’s 534 West 21st Street location, through Oct 22nd.)
Mark di Suvero, Luney Breakout, 22 ft, 3 inches, x 22 ft, 6 inches x 12 ft, 6 inches, steel, 2013.
Using his collection of manual typewriters, James Siena departs from his characteristic patterned, ruled-based paintings to designs resembling concrete poetry in a joint show with Orly Genger at Sargent’s Daughters. Including both legible numbers and abstract design, works like this one create an entertaining conundrum for the eye. (On the Lower East Side through Oct 26th).
James Siena, 1234567890 (ascending and descending in two directions), ink on paper, 11 x 8 ½ inches, 2013.
‘The End of Signature’ by New York based Polish artist Agnieszka Kurant compiles hundreds of signatures into one long scrawl, appearing on the gallery wall in black coloring on a long, tube and replicated by this machine. Kurant’s piece bears witness, neither critically nor enthusiastically, to the increase of typed communication and digital signatures. (At Tanya Bonakdar Gallery through Oct 18th).
Agnieszka Kurant, detail of The End of Signature, glass tubing, water pump, black coloring and water, installed with autopen machine, pillar of paper and ink pens, 2014.
Irish artist Genieve Figgis reaches back into history for characters to populate her paintings of cultured pastimes and leisure pursuits, but she seems to only partly resuscitate her ghoulish figures. Here, an 18th century social gathering includes crazed and casual guests. (At Half Gallery on the Upper East Side through Oct 25th).
Genieve Figgis, A Social Portrait, acrylic on canvas, 39.3 x 23.6 inches, 2014.
Slip on a hospital smock and you can test drive a ‘perfect baby’ model in Rachel Lee Hovnanian’s nursery/showroom at Leila Heller Gallery’s Chelsea location. Hovnanian’s dystopic vision looks ahead to a time when it’s possible to engineer perfect achievers; each baby comes with its own stellar future resume. (Through October 18th).
Rachel Lee Hovnanian, Perfect Baby Showroom, wallpaper, extension cords, baby dolls, metal, acrylic, wood, neon light, foam, cotton fabric, LED lights, cereal, dimensions variable, 2014.
Quoting from literature through the ages, two boys choir members trade insults in sweet, soaring voices as they move around Barbara Gladstone Gallery climbing and sitting on marble slabs. Human emotion, soon-to-change voices and eternal forces of nature are artist duo Allora & Calzadilla’s interests in the performance they’ve orchestrated. (Through October 11th).
Allora & Calzadilla, installation view of the performance ‘Fault Lines’ at Barbara Gladstone Gallery, Sept 2014.
Early TV sitcoms, news shows, music videos and more inspired new sculpture and 2-D collage by New York artist Derrick Adams at Jack Tilton Gallery. His ‘Boxhead’ characters, like this girl, are colorful and attention-grabbing ciphers. (On the Upper East Side through October 18th).
Derrick Adams, Boxhead #3, mixed media 23 x 28 x 19 inches, 2014.
In a move bound to irk art-lovers who want to see hands-on art making, British conceptual artist Jonathan Monk riffed on Jeff Koons’ fabricated rabbit sculpture by copying it, slightly deflated in 2009. Now, he’s presenting a remake of that piece, but he worked from photos rather than actual measurements of the original, suggesting a tiny measure of creativity or freedom from exactitude. (At Chelsea’s Casey Kaplan Gallery through October 18th).
Jonathan Monk, A Copy of Deflated Sculpture No. 1, stainless steel, 40.5 x 23 x 15”, 2014.
Missouri-based photographer Julie Blackmon’s take on the Beatles Abbey Road album cover suggests a different kind of band – a precociously independent group of young entrepreneurs marching along to the beat of their own drummer. (At Chelsea’s Robert Mann Gallery through October 18th).
Julie Blackmon, Thin Mints, 59 x 81.625 inches, 2014.
It’s hard to believe that Deborah Butterfield’s latest horse sculptures are crafted from bronze, the patina applied to their surface is so believable. Each towering creature represents a different animal’s character and mood, making this show a must-see for more than just horse-lovers. (At Chelsea’s Danese Corey through October 11th).
Deborah Butterfield, Otter, unique cast bronze with patina, 91.25 x 117 x 33 inches, 2014.
As many as 100 photographs might be layered into one of Israel/New York-based artist Shai Kremer’s images of One World Trade Center’s construction site, to which he had special access from 2011 – 2013. This photo turns construction into a pleasing geometry that balances ladders and girders while just hinting at the incredible amount of activity – on and behind the scenes – that went into rebuilding this site. (At Julie Saul Gallery through October 25th).
Shai Kremer, World Trade Center: Concrete Abstract #13, pigment print, 48 x 64 inches, 2011-2013.
Sophie Crumb ups the absurdity of a 2007 Paris Vogue supermarket fashion shoot with her skillful watercolor and ink renditions of the original magazine photos. Sharing a show with her mother, Aline Crumb at Lower East Side gallery DCKT Contemporary, both artists present fascinating portraits of fashion victims. (Through October 19th).
Sophie Crumb, Le Gout des Robes, watercolor & ink on paper, 12 7/8 x 17inches, 2011.
Layers of patterned origami paper painted onto canvas appear to be paper-clipped onto their supports in Greg Parma Smith’s inventive solo show at David Lewis Gallery. Behind them, a host of animated characters suggests that people and paper are waiting to be transformed into something more – a story set against a patterned backdrop? (On the Lower East Side through October 5th).
Greg Parma Smith at David Lewis Gallery, September, 2014.
Multi-media artist and media darling Dan Colen points to Disney films as a source for his latest, mostly abstract, paintings collectively called ‘Miracle.’ Here, ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ features an arc of sparkles painted in raw pigment and oil. Colen’s process-based style is so fashionable at the moment as to prompt the question of whether this piece demonstrates magic with painting or marketing. (At Gagosian Gallery through October 18th).
Dan Colen, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, oil and raw pigment, 67 x 102 inches, 2013.
Known for vivid paintings composed of layers or drips of resin, German artist Markus Linnenbrink takes his embrace of color a step further in his latest solo show at Chelsea’s Ameringer McEnery & Yohe by creating an installation in the gallery’s back room that allows visitors to walk right into a painting. (Through October 4th).
Markus Linnenbrink, installation view at Ameringer McEnery & Yohe, Sept 2014.
