First, a tangle of barbed wire, then a looser, smoother mass of looping lines in bronze greets visitors to Christopher Wool’s latest solo show at Luhring Augustine in Chelsea. In contrast to the inherently dangerous barbed wire, the larger sculptures are freer, suggesting unraveling string or cooked spaghetti dried out, as well as drawn lines unleashed into three dimensions. (In Chelsea through June 20th).
Christoher Wool, installation view at Luhring Augustine Gallery, May 2015.
The color, transience and fragility of flowers inspires British painter Lucy Mackenzie; here, a drawing of late summer flowers in colored pencil on paper is a last hurrah for summer. (At Nancy Hoffman Gallery in Chelsea through May 2nd).
Lucy Mackenzie, September Flowers, colored pencil on paper, 4 ¾ x 4 ¾ inches, 2015.
Inspired by a hermit living in the Maine woods with only a radio to hear news of the outside world, Dutch artist Jasper de Beijer created, then photographed paper dioramas depicting major world events from his memory rather than from documentation. Here (seen in detail), de Beijer recalls the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in all its terror. (At Chelsea’s Asya Geisberg Gallery through March 14th).
Jasper de Beijer, 12-26-2004 (from Mr Knight’s World Band Receiver’), c-print, 45×25” x 71,” 2014.
Dutch artist Erik Van Lieshout recreates newspaper protests of demonstrations between Dutch-nationalists and Muslim factions in Holland in vinyl and charcoal at Anton Kern Gallery. A provocateur who The Guardian recently called ‘The Ali G of Art’ for his disregard for social convention, Van Lieshout’s drawings impressively channel the aggression and adrenaline of street confrontation. (In Chelsea through Feb 28th).
Erik Van Lieshout, Untitled, charcoal, acrylic and vinyl on paper, 59 1/8 x 107 7/8 inches, 2014.
How to create a universal art? Pennsylvania-based artist Hilary Berseth drew seven faces contorted by common human emotions (surprise and fear seen here) on the inside of five Platonic solids, shapes that Plato felt were key to constructing all around us. Slowly spinning in the gallery, the shapes intensify each emotion and invite a viewer to compare each to his/her own emotional state. (At Lower East Side gallery 11 Rivington through Jan 17th).
Hilary Berseth, Installation view at 11 Rivington, December 2014.
