Indian artist Tallur L.N.’s huge sculpture is a standout in Chelsea on two counts: it courts religious reflection and you can hit it. Visitors are invited to pick up one of several nearby hammers and pound a coin into a log supported by a giant Buddha sculpture while making a wish. I’ve heard of the audience being invited to complete an artwork, but a divinity? (At Chelsea’s Jack Shainman Gallery through May 11th).
Tallur L.N., Chromathophobia, wooden log, granite and hammered coins, 2012.
Rochelle Feinstein’s paired canvases deliver the same information: two cats in front of table or chair legs plus a pattern of black and white stripes. But the pairing seems to question how subtly altering the stripes and moving the cats might effect the meaning. (At the Lower East Side’s ‘On Stellar Rays,’ through April 28th)
Rochelle Feinstein, ‘Today in History,’ oil on canvas and digital prints on vinyl, 2013.
Wayne Gonzales’s past paintings of crowds looked like they were made from surveillance camera footage zeroing in on particular individuals who appear in multiple paintings. Here, in a crowded California parking lot, a recurring SUV turns from being an everyday car to a suspicious vehicle by virtue of being depicted repeatedly from different angles. (At Paula Cooper Gallery’s 534 West 21st Street location through April 27th).
Wayne Gonzalez, Untitled, acrylic on canvas, 2012.
There’s something subtly odd about Darren Almond’s recent series of landscape photos, which seem not-so-extraordinary at first glance. The series’ ‘Fullmoon’ title gives the game away, however, revealing that each of the photos in this show has been taken in the light of a full moon. Verdant landscapes and smooth water surfaces are an eye-pleasing surprise, but the ephemeral beauty of these cherry blossoms is a delight. (At Matthew Marks’ 522 West 22nd Street space through April 20th).
Darren Almond, ‘Fullmoon@Sakura Hanami,’ c-print mounted to aluminum in artist’s frame, 2006.
Austrian artist Martin Roth’s interest in nature has led him to raise ducklings in his studio and grow grass on Persian rugs for past projects. His latest show at Louis B. James Gallery on the Lower East Side has a surprise twist (spoiler alert!) in which a bonsai tree upstairs is nurtured by the live, recorded sounds of birds, fish and these lively crickets in the basement gallery. (Through April 13th.)
Martin Roth, ‘Untitled (Bonsai)’ installation view at Louis B. James Gallery, March 2013.