Tag: abstract

Al Loving at Garth Greenan Gallery

Renowned in the ‘60s for his hard-edge abstraction, Al Loving introduced softer geometries in textile works from the ‘70s, like this dynamic assemblage now on view at Garth Greenan Gallery in Chelsea.  Inspired by African American quilting tradition and Romare Bearden’s collage, Loving created works of ripped, braided and dyed fabric, which the gallery likens to pennants, streamers, tattered flags and garments.  In this piece, a colorful pattern spreads from the top right, traveling down and across a dark surface creating a feeling of work in progress and complex depth. (On view in Chelsea through May 7th.)

Al Loving, Untitled, mixed media on canvas, 83 x 106 inches, 1975.

Mary Obering at Bortolami Gallery

Inspired by her love of art history and travel to Italy, New York-based artist Mary Obering infuses modern, minimal style with references to early Renaissance art to create dynamic and luminous paintings.  Bortolami Gallery’s current presentation of her work from 1972 – 2003 includes this 1992 painting that balances light and dark colors in a way that moves the eye around the canvas, creating a lively circular movement enriched by glowing panels of gold leaf.  Blocks of color in egg tempera – painted to show the artist’s hand through fluctuations of color – have an extra vibrant glow, adding to the uplift and pleasure of the piece.  (On view in Tribeca through Feb 26th. Masks and social distancing are required.)

Mary Obering, A2 + Y2, egg tempera and gold leaf on gessoed panels, 2 panels, total dimensions: 84 x 84 inches, 1992.

Tomm El-Saieh at Luhring Augustine

Born in Haiti and raised in Miami, Tomm El-Saieh’s relationship with the country of his birth continues to inspire his abstract paintings, now on view at Chelsea’s Luhring Augustine Gallery.  Haitian spiritual practice as well as the traditions of international abstraction inform El-Saieh’s fields of color and subtle geometric patterns that bloom over the canvases.  (On view through Dec 22nd).

Tomm El-Saieh, Boule, acrylic on canvas, 96 x 72 inches, 2021.

Sarah Cain at Broadway

Sarah Cain pushes the boundaries of what painting can be, literally extending beyond the canvas onto gallery floors and walls and adopting unexpected materials like sequined backpacks and an easy chair.  Her current solo show at Broadway in Tribeca features traditional, framed 2-D artworks but also this installation, a combination of expressionist and hard-edge painting that invites the audience to step in and feel the color.  (On view through Oct 16th).

Sarah Cain, installation view at Broadway Gallery, Oct 21 featuring (back wall) Jamillah, acrylic, color copies, uv seal, and backpack on canvas, 60 x 48 inches, 2021 and (floor) Untitled (NYC), acrylic on floor, 237.5 x 262 inches, 2021.

Channing Hansen at Susan Inglett Gallery

‘60s performance art gets a radical update in LA-based artist Channing Hansen’s algorithm-derived hand-knit constructions at Susan Inglett Gallery.  Conceived of as instructions or ‘scores,’ each artwork in his latest solo show is a kind of event; the 2-D pieces are shaped by an algorithm trained to produce ‘Channing Hansen artworks,’ based on the characteristics of his previous work.  (On view in Chelsea through Oct 16th. Masks required).

Channing Hansen, Tangible Engine, California Variegated Mutant (Myth), California Variegated Mutant (Rhea), California Variegated Mutant (Sriracha), California Variegated Mutant (Talia), Jersey Wooly (Miss Maple), Romeldale (January), Romeldale (Qassiopeia), Romedale (Saffron), Romedale (Shelby), and Teeswater (F2019-0339) fibers; Tussah silk, and Mulberry silk; holographic polymers, and photo-luminescent recycled polyester fibers; Ingeo corn, and pineapple fibers; Sequoioideae Redwood, 50 x 45 in., 2020.