Wild abandon meets danger in this 1974 photo by counterculture photographer Roger Steffens, though what appears to be a fatal leap is an illusion – the young woman landed safely on the ledge directly beneath her. Under the titled ‘The Family Acid,’ Steffens’ photos chronicle the lives of his friends and family as they embody the changing mores of an era. (At Benrubi Gallery in Chelsea through Aug 26th).
‘We were dealing with art as a way of mediation,’ explained late West Coast painter Lee Mullican of his pattern-driven, energetic work inspired by Native American art and design. (Seen here in detail.) (At James Cohan Gallery’s Chelsea location through June 18th).
Gil Batle, Chrysalis, Carved ostrich egg shell, 6.5 x 5 x 5 inches, 2014.
Katy Grannan, Anonymous, Modesto, CA, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper mounted to Plexiglas, 55 x 41 inches, 2013.
California Light and Space artist De Wain Valentine pushed his chosen medium of polyester resin by finding a way to make larger pours and bigger pieces in the ‘60s; with their huge size, pieces like ‘Circle Gold-Rose’ from 1970 become actors in the room, changing the environment with shifting color. (At David Zwirner Gallery through August 7th).
De Wain Valentine, Circle Gold-Rose, cast polyester resin, 70 3/8 x 70 x 4 7/8 in, 1970.
