Though British artist (and writer) Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s figures look like portraits, they come from her imagination. The title of this piece, ‘Attention from the Righteous,’ suggests a condescending character, but this young man’s lively eyes and soft expression make him immediately likeable. (At Chelsea’s Jack Shainman Gallery through Jan 10th).
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Attention From the Righteous, oil on canvas, 19 ¾ x 18 inches, 2014.
Working from torn billboard posters, Johannesburg-based artist Kay Hassan created this monumental untitled piece at Jack Shainman Gallery over ten years ago. Explaining that it represented dispossessed people, Hassan points to the eye in the middle as a symbol of looking and praying for justice. (Through Nov 15th).
Kay Hassan, Untitled, paper construction, 268 ½ x 132 inches, 2001-03.
Ghanaian artist El Anatsui continues to work magic on discarded materials with a new show of textile-like wall hangings crafted from liquor-bottle tops. Though abstract, the gorgeous designs recall maps or luxurious fabrics. (At Jack Shainman Gallery’s 24th Street Chelsea location, through Nov 15th).
El Anatsui, Another Place, 110 x 123inches, found aluminum and copper wire, 2014.
Drawing on his Native American roots and life in downtown New York (where he’s lived for over 30 years), Brad Kahlhamer creates a new culture populated by figures based on Hopi katsina dolls and enigmatic heroes. (At Jack Shainman Gallery’s 20th Street location through April 26th).
Brad Kahlhamer, background: American Horse, acrylic, ink, spray paint and pencil on bed sheet, 94 ½ x 72 ½ inches, 2014. Foreground: Next Level Figures, wood, wire, bells, leather, acrylic, mirrors, spray paint, 2014.
Leslie Wayne’s new series ‘Paint/Rag’ demonstrates how it’s possible to make a painting made from paint alone. By troweling colors one on top of the other on a surface of wet paint, then folding the sheet, Wayne creates gorgeous drapes of solid color. (At Jack Shainman Gallery’s 24th Street location through March 22nd).
Leslie Wayne, Paint/Rag #31, oil on panel, 14 x 9 x 4 ½ inches, 2013.
