Tag: architecture

Olafur Eliasson in ‘The Return of the Real’ at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

Changing light and the effect of light on architecture are two recurring themes in Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson’s work and in his new sculpture ‘Return of the Arctic light sphere,’ on view in its own gallery at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in Chelsea.  A strong LED light inside the sphere passes through blue glass and Fresnel glass, a material once used in lighthouses to increase the intensity of light.  Walk around the suspended sphere and the shadows change constantly, creating mesmerizing effects and giving viewers pause to consider the complexities of the sculpture’s geometry.  (On view Tues – Fri by appointment through August 28th.  Masks and social distancing required.)

Olafur Eliasson, Return of the Arctic light sphere, stainless steel, colored glass (shades of blue), Fresnel glass, mirror, aluminum, paint (black), LED system, wire, 55 1/8 x 55 1/8 x 55 1/8 inches, 2020.

Kambel Smith at Marlborough Gallery

Frank Gehry’s undulating ‘Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health’ in Las Vegas is the subject of this sculpture by young Philadelphia-based artist Kambel Smith, a highlight of his current show at Marlborough Gallery.  Diagnosed with autism at a young age, Smith discovered painting and then sculpture in his teens, pouring his energies into sculptural models of Philadelphia buildings.  At Marlborough, Smith expands his purview to recreate a bridge in Tbilisi, Georgia and invent a sci-fi city, recalling the creative abundance of Bodys Isek Kingelez’ invented cityscapes but with a sleeker vision.  (On view in Chelsea through Nov 16th).

Kambel Smith, Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, foam core board, acrylic, ink and paper, 44 x 100 x 96 inches, 2019.

Carmen Herrera in City Hall Park

Carmen Herrera’s longevity as an artist continues to amaze; the informational texts for her installation of boldly colored abstract sculptures at City Hall Park declare her age (104) in the first line before going on to comment on the artwork.  In the 50s and beyond, Herrera was in the center of New York’s art world and at its margins, making artwork in conversation with the developing language of abstraction but underappreciated because of her gender and lacking funding to realize her plans for boldly colored sculpture.  Installed in the park, her architectural forms are in the company of landmarks including City Hall and the Woolworth Building.  Here, they speak to Herrera’s personal and political concerns, from a piece memorializing her late brother to a sculpture constructed of two interlocking forms that nod to Cuban/American relations.  (On view downtown at City Hall Park via the Public Art Fund through Nov 8th).

Carmen Herrera, Amarillo Tres, 1971/2018.

Todd Gray at David Lewis Gallery

Coretta Scott King speaks in a photo held by a silent man who himself is superimposed over an elaborate ornamental structure in this photo collage by Todd Gray.  Liberation and the legacy of oppression, particularly of European colonization in Africa and the architectural expressions of wealth it allowed in Europe, come head-to-head in new photo collage by Todd Gray at David Lewis Gallery on the Lower East Side. (On view through June 16th).

Todd Gray, Coretta, two archival pigment prints in artist’s frames and found frames, UV laminate, 51 ½ x 67 x 3 ½ inches, 2019.

Andisheh Avini at Marianne Boesky Gallery

External architecture comes indoors at Marianne Boesky Gallery in Chelsea, where Iranian-American artist Andisheh Avini has installed two domed forms.  Born and raised in the US but inspired by his Iranian heritage, Avini provocatively arranges these two quasi-readymades (the domes are crafted and painted by hand) to suggest danger via their pointed spires, around which visitors are invited to step. (On view in Chelsea through April 6th).

Andisheh Avini, Untitled, acrylic, brass, foam, resin and wood, two works, each approx: 8 x 10 feet, 2019.