Gritty doesn’t begin to describe Danish artist Jacob Aue Sobol’s photographs taken along the Trans-Siberian Railway, now on view at Yossi Milo Gallery in Chelsea. This man’s face and the wall behind him are marked with use; the alarmed person in the line drawing begs the question of the man’s psychological state. (Through Aug 28th).
Jacob Aue Sobol, from the series Arrivals and Departures, Untitled #16, gelatin silver print, 24 x 20 inches, 2012.
Starting with a solarized photo of water in which the dark tones have turned light, Brooklyn artist Eric Cahan scans and prints each image, attacking it with bleach and altering it in Photoshop. In a time when web users spend just seconds looking at images, Cahan’s practice questions what abstract art should offer the viewer. (At Benrubi Gallery through Aug 22nd).
Installation view of Eric Cahan, ‘Data Mining’ at Benrubi Gallery, July 2015.
In this detail of a photogram by NJ/Maine artist Bryan Graf, the artist’s hand reaches into the frame, conjuring swirls of mesh into a dynamic design. In the accompanying Polaroid (not pictured here), we see a straight shot of the artist revealing his magic as he holds screen material in front of light sensitive paper. (At Yancey Richardson Gallery through August 21st).
(Detail of) Bryan Graf, Shot/Reverse Shot (Corner Piece #2) December 18, 2012, Polaroid and two gelatin silver prints, Polaroid: 3.5 x 4.5 inches, Gelatin silver diptych: 24 x 40 inches, unique.
On the occasion of Sally Mann’s memoir, ‘Hold Still,’ Edwynn Houk Gallery is exhibiting a selection of work by the artist best known for photos of her children. In this picture from 2004, Mann veils our view of her daughter Virginia, whose beauty is nonetheless apparent. (In the 57th Street area through July 10th).
Sally Mann, Virginia #36, gelatin silver enlargement print with varnish, 50 x 40 inches, 2004.
New York photographer Gillian Laub’s photographs of segregated high school dances in small-town Georgia (which continued until 2010) have appeared twice in national publications but still have the power to shock. They form the core of her current solo show at Benrubi Gallery in Chelsea, along with this image of two men who chose public humiliation – walking the streets with signboards for hours a day – over jail time. (Through June 27th).
Gillian Laub, Public Shaming, 2013.
