Known for his surreal canvases, Columbian artist Miguel Cardenas adds a mysterious element to Jack Hanley Gallery’s current dog-themed group exhibition. At just under 1’ x 1,’ this small panel painting has a strong presence with its bold blue background and a hybrid man/dog creature’s penetrating eyes. The title, ‘Heart of a Dog,’ suggests a human following animal passions. (On view through June 12th Masks and social distancing required.)
The long-armed embrace offered by the central figure says it all in this acrylic on canvas painting by Emma Kohlmann at Jack Hanley Gallery on the Lower East Side. Kohlmann explains that viewers who venture out to galleries during the pandemic should encounter an oasis, or a place to be distracted from turbulent times. Caring couples, harmonious relationships between humans and nature, and references to Matisse’s colorful painting abound in a show that will take the mind to happy places. (On view through Nov 14th).
Known for his paintings of poodles, Brooklyn based artist Susumu Kamijo takes the dog’s form as a launchpad for explorations of color, pattern and form. Here, the dog breaks up into floating organic shapes that come together to form a canine apparition. Similarly real-but-not-quite, the dog’s mouth opens in an enthusiastic bark but its half closed eyes suggest restraint. (On view at Jack Hanley Gallery on the Lower East Side and at Marvin Gardens in Ridgewood, NY through Oct 11th. Masks and social distancing are required.)
The experience of curling up with a good book in a comfy chair isn’t what you might expect in Meredith James’ ‘Library,’ a standout in her show of delightfully strange sculpture at Jack Hanley Gallery. Stocked with blandly-colored, identical volumes, the miniature library set in a chair, feels more ominous than wonderful. A gallery handout suggests that James’ new work explores ‘things in various stages of disappearance or obsolescence,’ offering an uncertain future for the written word. (On view on the Lower East Side through Nov 10th).
Nikki Maloof puts her audience right in the cage with these canaries while free pigeons cavort outside. Newspaper headlines on the pages papering the cage alternate between self-help and anxious messages while a dynamic twisting branch and electric colors of the yellow birds against a pink wall suggest pleasure and danger. (On view at Jack Hanley Gallery on the Lower East Side through April 21st).
