Tag: Carolina Nitsch

Karin Sander at Carolina Nitsch

Known for her 3-D printed human figures, Karin Sander’s ‘Kitchen Pieces’ first offer a puzzle – is the fruit real or meticulously made?  Sander isn’t beating Zeuxis, the ancient Greek artist who painted grapes so believably that the birds tried to eat them.  The grapes and other fruit and veg attached to the wall with specially made nails are real.  The process of searching for evidence of this –which is surprisingly difficult to discern – is the takeaway. (On view at Carolina Nitsch through April.)

Karin Sander, Grapes, grapes, stainless steel nail, dimensions variable, with signed certificate housed in a custom box, 2012/18.

Michael Joo at Carolina Nitsch Project Room

Many have pondered ‘the wages of sin,’ but few in quite the way that Michael Joo does in his Seven Sins series. Joo records the number of calories expended in pursuing anger, lust, pride and more, stamping the numbers on baking trays like these stacked floor to ceiling in Carolina Nitsch Project Room. Screen prints of the trays resemble historic photographs and ghostly traces of appetites indulged. (In Chelsea through April 1st).

Michael Joo, installation view of ‘Seven Sins,’ at Carolina Nitsch Project Room, February, 2017.

Philip Taaffe at Carolina Nitsch

Inspired by a stone carving of the feathered dragon Quetzalcoatl, painter Philip Taaffe had the shape recreated in Spanish alabaster, which he then painted and printed. In the paper collage in the background, concentric circles give the illusion of a spiral echoing the coils of the serpent. (In Chelsea at Carolina Nitsch through Nov 7).

Philip Taaffe, Hodi Mihi, Cras Tibi (#2/8), hand carved Spanish alabaster, poppy seed oil, hand stamped and painted with oil paint, signed, numbered, dated below, 17 x 17 x 15 inches, 2015.

Matthew Weinstein at Carolina Nitsch Gallery

This swashbuckling Puss in Boots was created on 36 former library card catalogue cards, sourced from eBay by New York artist Matthew Weinstein.  One of the topmost cards originally directed readers to a commentary on Dante’s Divine Comedy.  Now it plays host to a new creation.  (At Carolina Nitsch Gallery through Jan 18th).  

Matthew Weinstein, piece from ‘The Splendid Outcast,’ featuring card catalogue cards re Dante’s Divine Comedy, ink on paper, 2013.

Ai Weiwei at Carolina Nitsch

Ai Weiwei, Kui Hua Zi (Sun Flower Seeds), 2009.
Ai Weiwei, Kui Hua Zi (Sun Flower Seeds), 2009.

One thousand hand-painted, porcelain sunflower seeds made in Jingdezhen, China are on offer at Carolina Nitsch as part of a show of work (80s NYC photos and Qing Dynasty chairs) by dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.  Once a metaphor for the Chinese populace following their leadership as the sunflower follows the sun, these remnants of Weiwei’s five ton installation at Tate Modern suggest that it’s the artist who is followed so closely as his popularity continues to rise. (At Carolina Nitsch through Nov 3rd.)