Though it’s tempting to dismiss New-York based artist Gedi Sibony’s new works – rectangles cut from aluminum semi-trailers – as gimmicky abstraction, scrapes, dents and gashes lend each a certain authenticity. Redacted text, as in the covered up letters ‘ALL,’ suggest a hasty attempt at erasing the past. (At Greene Naftali Gallery through Nov 8th).
Gedi Sibony, All, aluminum semi-trailer, 101 ¾ x 104 ¾ inches, 2014.
Known for abstract art crafted with a superabundance of non-art materials, Judy Pfaff outdoes herself in two solo shows at Chelsea’s Pavel Zoubok Gallery and Loretta Howard Gallery. Here, she uses paper lanterns, honeycombed paper and expandable foam in a floor-to-ceiling artwork that suggests explosive force, high temperatures, decay and fossilization. (This piece included in Pavel Zoubok’s installation, both shows through Nov 15th).
Judy Pfaff, Belle Starr/Blue Duck, paper, pigmented expanded foam, acrylic, resin and honeycomb, 118 x 132 x 24 inches, 2014.
Anxious greyhounds greet visitors to Elizabeth Jaeger’s debut solo show at LES gallery Jack Hanley, setting an oddly expectant mood. Though the space is too large and bright to convey much angst, Jaeger’s weirdly proportioned animals are winningly lively. (Through Nov 9th).
Elizabeth Jaeger, installation view of ‘Six-Thirty’ at Jack Hanley Gallery, October 2014. (Includes ‘Yet to be Titled (Dog),’ ceramic, hydrocal, loose graphite, house paint/latex paint, leather, brass.)
In signature strong colors and geometric abstraction, Berlin-based artist Thomas Scheibitz’s new painting series riffs on the endless possibilities for creativity in the artist’s studio. Here, a small table seems to support a letter, a number, various experiments and a giraffe-like form also resembling an electrical plug that energizes the whole arrangement. (At Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in Chelsea through Dec 20th).
Thomas Scheibitz, Studio Imaginaire, oil, vinyl, pigment marker on canvas, 114 1/5 x 70 7/8 inches, 2014.
Ghanaian artist El Anatsui continues to work magic on discarded materials with a new show of textile-like wall hangings crafted from liquor-bottle tops. Though abstract, the gorgeous designs recall maps or luxurious fabrics. (At Jack Shainman Gallery’s 24th Street Chelsea location, through Nov 15th).
El Anatsui, Another Place, 110 x 123inches, found aluminum and copper wire, 2014.
