Tag: history

Peter Saul at Mary Boone Gallery

Emmanuel Leutze’s famous depiction of George Washington crossing the Delaware River on the night of Dec 25th, 1776 takes artistic liberties, but not as many as Peter Saul’s hilarious comic version. Hopping across potato-like icebergs, Washington as a flower-hatted dandy uses his massive fists to punch red-faced, bug-eyed Hessian mercenaries in a dramatic historical rewrite. (At Chelsea’s Mary Boone Gallery through Dec 18th).

 Peter Saul, George Washington Crossing the Delaware, acrylic/canvas, 64 x 82 inches, 2015.

Conor Backman at James Fuentes Gallery

Wall mounted sculptures made of cast marble dust by Hudson, NY artist Conor Backman at James Fuentes Gallery feature faux-lichen, suggesting salvaged architectural fragments with hints of possible historical significance. (On the Lower East Side through July 24th).

Conor Backman, installation view at James Fuentes Gallery, July 2015 (foreground: Monday and Sunday, marble dust, resin, cast aquaresin, 2015).

Albert York at Matthew Marks Gallery

Late New York painter Albert York’s paintings of landscapes, dogs, cows and flowers may look conventional, but they elicit strong praise from art world cognoscenti for their dreamy quality and conversation with the history of painting landscape and portraiture. (At Chelsea’s Matthew Marks Gallery through Dec 20th).

Albert York, Cow, oil on board, 9 x 10 ¼ inches, c. 1972.

Gary Simmons at Metro Pictures

160 posters make up a 40-foot wall installation by New York artist Gary Simmons that commemorates historic boxing matches while blurring their memory with the artist’s signature ‘erased’ texts. (At Chelsea’s Metro Pictures through Dec 13th).

Gary Simmons, Untitled, ink jet posters on CDX plywood, installation dimensions variable, 2014.

Jason Larkin in ‘Interiors’ at Flowers Gallery

Part of a series of images shot in Egyptian museums, this intriguing 2009 image by British photographer Jason Larkin could have been taken decades ago. It appears to tell of information forgotten and marginalized. (At Chelsea’s Flowers Gallery through August 30th).

Jason Larkin, Museum 11, #3, archival pigment print, 30 x 30 inches, 2009.