Marcus Webber in ‘Painting in Due Time’ at Thomas Erben Gallery

German painter Marcus Webber draws inspiration from odd moments experienced in daily street life; his paintings titled after public places, like ‘N-Platz (Nolli)’ include odd characters like the robed figures with triangular heads who attract a stare from a circular-headed shopper in the foreground.   (In ‘Painting in due time’ at Thomas Erben Gallery in Chelsea through July 28th.)

Marcus Webber, N-Platz (Nolli), oil on canvas, 19.5 x 24 inches, 2011.

Roy Lichtenstein at Castelli Gallery

Like finding shapes in the clouds or interpreting a Rorschach inkblot, Roy Lichtenstein’s brushstroke head sculptures from 1987 build a portrait from a few well-placed marks. Though she’s derived from Pop Art and Abstract Expressionist painting techniques, this blond muse rejects painting altogether, manifesting as a 3-D bronze sculpture. (At Castelli Gallery through Jan 28th).

Roy Lichtenstein, Brushstroke Head II, painted and patinated bronze, 28 7/8 x 13 ¼ inches, 1987.
Roy Lichtenstein, Brushstroke Head II, painted and patinated bronze, 28 7/8 x 13 ¼ inches, 1987.

Dora Budor at Ramiken Crucible

Inspired by a sculpture in a David Cronenberg sci-fi horror film, Dora Budor’s enormous head houses a seating area – a lounge for contemplating the life of the mind and how it can be controlled. (At Ramiken Crucible through June 5th).

Dora Budor, installation view of ‘Ephemerol’ at Ramiken Crucible, through June 5th.
Dora Budor, installation view of ‘Ephemerol’ at Ramiken Crucible, through June 5th.

Sally Saul in ‘At Home’ at LaunchF18

Sally Saul’s arresting ceramic self-portrait portrays her as if in mid-sentence, her eyes looking into the distance as if trying to phrase something just so. Surrounded by tiny attentive birds, what she says has caused nature to stop and listen. (At LaunchF18 on the Lower East Side through March 6th).

Sally Saul, Self-Portrait, clay and glaze, 12 x 9 x 8 inches, unique, 2010.
Sally Saul, Self-Portrait, clay and glaze, 12 x 9 x 8 inches, unique, 2010.

Ruby Sky Stiler at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery

From straight on, Ruby Sky Stiler’s large new sculptures of female heads and bodies look like bronze architectural features intended for the metalwork of a gate or fence. Actually made of wood with two intersecting perpendicular panels, their legibility morphs as the viewer walks around them; clustered in pairs or groups, they suggest a silent community of watching women. (At Nicelle Beauchene Gallery through Dec 20th).

 Ruby Sky Stiler, Head, stained Baltic birch, 36 x 24 x 13 inches and Wave Head, stained Baltic birch, 46 x 30 x 15 ½ inches, 2015.