Greek mythology associates the Narcissus flower with a youth who was cursed to fall in love with himself, but it also describes the bloom as one that enticed Persephone to stray from her companions and be abducted by Hades. Sanford Biggers’ sculpture ‘Narcissus,’ a centerpiece of his current exhibition at Marianne Boesky Gallery, aligns with the later tale for its intriguing patterning and positioning at the end of a hung-fabric corridor that encourages visitors to draw close. Known for his syncretic approach to artmaking, Biggers here combines a Greco-Roman torso with a head inspired by an African mask against a backdrop drawing on quilt patterns, a rich, intercultural combination that speaks to the complexity of American identity. (On view in Chelsea through June 13th.)
