Seventeen taxidermy molds of foxes, deer and caribou by iconic conceptual artist Bruce Nauman are poised like an acrobatic troupe but are more creepy than entertaining. Nauman ups the discomfort by keeping them hairless to suggest that they’ve experienced an unnamed brutality. (At Gagosian Gallery’s 821 Park Ave location through Feb 21st).
Bruce Nauman, Animal Pyramid, polyurethane foam, iron, wood, and wire, 144 x 84 x 96 inches, 1989.
A stand out in the last Whitney Biennial for slides made by aging and distressing film stock (even burying it in dirt for a specified time), Luther Price shows recent slides and work from this 80s in this sobering show that suggests humans who have experienced similarly devastating processes. (At Participant, Inc. on the Lower East Side through April 13th).
Luther Price, installation view of ‘The Years Made Flies,’ (foreground: ‘Ground Piece One (Five Life Size Figures), 1982-83, plastic, metal, dirt) at Participant, Inc., March 2014.
Late New York artist Candy Jernigan’s ’99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall’ brings to mind an apothecary’s shelves, though tags reading ‘Guinness Dark,’ and ‘Colt 45’ for example, suggest that these are more contemporary medicines, gathered from LES streets (along with the crack vials and cheez doodles in other artworks) in the 80s. (At GreeneNaftali through March 15th).
Candy Jernigan, ’99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall’ (detail), beer, glass vials, packing tags and Plexiglas shelves, 48 x 14 x 3 ½ inches, c. 1988-89.
