Tag: abstraction

Ryan Sullivan at 125 Newbury

Ryan Sullivan’s abstractions invite viewers on a process of discovery in new work at 125 Newbury; what appear to be relatively straightforward non-representational paintings are in fact complicated images created by both chance and forethought.  Sullivan’s working technique is key.  Using pigment suspended in industrial grade resin, the artist makes the paintings ‘backward,’ by laying down the marks that will be seen on the surface, then continuing to add on the background layers, eventually moving the piece from its frame once set.  As much sculpture as painting, the untitled pieces foreground our own exploration of how to interpret what we’re encountering in each dynamic and complex composition.  (On view in Tribeca through Jan 28th).

Ryan Sullivan, Untitled, cast urethane resin, fiberglass, epoxy, 88 ¾ x 79 ¾ inches, 2022.

Rico Gatson at Miles McEnery Gallery

Like two huge eyes or dual portals into the unknown, Rico Gatson’s ‘Untitled (Double Consciousness)’ is dominated by two intersecting sets of concentric circles, a repeated motif in his current show of painting titled ‘Spectral Visions’ at Miles McEnery Gallery.  The work’s title suggests a simultaneous looking outward and inward; its vibrant color indicating a state of heightened awareness.  Inspired by mathematician Ron Eglash’s study of fractal forms found in African patterns and spiritual expressions in the work of artists like Hilma af Klint and Emma Kunz, Gatson harnesses geometry to express kinds of order that exist beyond the conscious realm. (On view through Jan 28th).

Rico Gatson, Untitled (Double Consciousness), acrylic paint and glitter on wood, 36 x 48 inches, 2022.

Joan Mitchell at David Zwirner Gallery

David Zwirner Gallery’s current exhibition of work from museum and private collections by Joan Mitchell celebrates the late second generation abstract expressionist painter’s ability to suggest emotive landscapes through unique consideration of figure-ground relationships and bold color choices.  ‘Before, Again I’ from 1985 includes both orange tones that dominated her paintings in the early 80s and the cooler colors that evolved as a result of health challenges later in the decade.  Both palettes point to the inspiration she found in her gardens in Vetheuil, a town once home to Impressionist painter Claude Monet.  (On view through Dec 17th).

Joan Mitchell, Before, Again I, oil on canvas, 109 ½ x 78 inches, 1985.

Pamela Jorden at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery

Two strikingly different semi-spherical paintings appear to join together to provocative effect at the center of ‘Noisetone,’ one of Pamela Jorden’s new abstractions at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery in Tribeca.  Both created from washes of paint and featuring a curving arch at the top like a dip in a wave or a celestial sphere, the palettes of each half create divergent moods that suggest different light conditions and landscapes.  Purple and pink washes of color on the left uplift an otherwise bleak scene and off-set an overpoweringly rich combination of blue, green, red and yellow to the right.  (On view through Dec 10th).

Pamela Jorden, Noisetone, oil and acrylic and linen, 80 inch diameter, 2022.

Fiona Rae at Miles McEnery Gallery

Typically, Fiona Rae’s ambiguous painted forms suggest real-world objects but elude identification.  Further complicating the work, both gestural and geometric abstraction appear on the same canvas, a surprising combination geared to upend our expectations.  Her latest work at Miles McEnery Gallery distills these artistic strategies into paintings featuring distinctly formed clusters of organic and geometric shapes set against a spare white background.  Titles reveal that each grouping is a word from a phrase taken from a written source, from pop music to Shakespeare.  This airy assemblage reads, ‘I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe,’ a line from the movie Bladerunner expounding on futuristic technological marvels.  (On view in Chelsea through Nov 26th).

Fiona Rae, I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe, oil and acrylic on linen, 60 x 50 inches, 2022.