Tag: FLAG Art Foundation

Cinga Samson at Flag Art Foundation

South African artist Cinga Samson complicates the act of looking in paintings that are challenging to see. The muted palettes and crepuscular lighting of his individual portraits and figure groups not only disguise his subjects, but aim to create a sense of having intruded on a private scene.  Samson’s recent body of work, on view at Flag Art Foundation in Chelsea, features young men like this figure, whose remarkable eyes disrupt easy engagement and suggest moments of looking inward.  Each painting is a meditation on mortality, the flower in this piece acting as a symbol of transience.  (On view through Jan 15th.   Masks, social distancing and proof of vaccination required).

Cinga Samson, Nontshonshi 1, oil on canvas, 18 x 13 ¾ x 1 inches, 2021.

Gareth Cadwallader in ‘and I will wear you in my heart of heart’ at the Flag Art Foundation

Inspired by moments of tenderness, Flag Art Foundation’s 35 artist summer group show explores a variety of expressions of affection, from a child asleep in a parent’s arms to a beautifully hand-stitched scene of self-care.  British artist Gareth Cadwallader’s Orange Juice, a small oil painting with a lot of detail, suggests we pause to appreciate the pleasures of the natural world, from the orange that produces juice to the jumble of plant life to the left, topped by two bird-of-paradise. (On view in Chelsea through Aug 13th.  Masks and social distancing required).

Gareth Cadwallader, Orange Juice, oil on canvas, 32 x 24.8cm, 2015.

Nicolas Party at FLAG Art Foundation

Visitors to Nicolas Party’s optically lush installation at FLAG Art Foundation encounter this intriguing pairing of a 18th century woman by French painter Jean-Baptiste Perronneau with a background still life mural painted by the celebrated young Swiss artist.  Both artworks were created with pastel, Party’s favored medium and Perronneau’s specialty.  Here, Party places ‘decadent’ court style in proximity to plump, slouching fruits with wan little stems that enact a kind of excess and pampering akin to the lady in her finery.  (On view in Chelsea through Feb 15th).

Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, Portrait of a woman with pink ribbons, n.d., pastel on paper, 17 5/8 x 25 5/8 inches and Nicolas Party, Still Life, soft pastel on wall, 84 inches, 2019.

Robert Gober in ‘Dime Store Alchemy’ at Flag Art Foundation

Robert Gober’s sculpture ‘Heart in a Box’ demonstrates more commitment than sending a valentine card or loading a text with heart-eye emojis. A standout in the Flag Art Foundation’s smart summer group show, ‘Dime Store Alchemy,’ curated by Jonathan Rider, it advances the exhibition’s meditation on art delivered in a particular setting, box or kind of framing device.  Gober’s typical handcrafting is an added thrill as what appears to be a cardboard box is actually painted corrugated aluminum.  (On view through August 17th).

Robert Gober, Heart in a Box, corrugated aluminum, cast glass, paper plaster and ink, 6 ½ x 13 x 12 inches, 2014-15.

Sam Moyer in ‘Painting/Object’ at FLAG Art Foundation

The title of Sam Moyer’s ‘Spencertown’ (seen here in detail) refers to the New York town where iconic painter Ellsworth Kelly lived and worked before his death in 2015.  Bold geometric shapes – constructed of marble and painted canvas – also hint at a fascination with Kelly’s practice of reducing real-world objects and scenes to an abstract language. Here, Moyer pushes the idea a step further by incorporating actual fragments of the 3-D world in her artwork.  (At FLAG Art Foundation in Chelsea through May 19th).

Sam Moyer, detail of Spencertown, stone, marble, hand-painted canvas mounted to MDF panel, 56 x 42 5/16 inches, 2018.