Tag: photographer

Simen Johan at Yossi Milo Gallery

Simen Johan’s dramatic photographs of animals are convincing at first glance, then give viewers pause to consider.  Johan’s skillful digital manipulations allow a panda to appear ready to nurse furry little black and white creatures which turn out to be skunks, while in another image, a longhorn bull poses comfortably in an Alpine scene, though the animal may be more at home in Texas.   In its original setting, this wolf was having its belly rubbed; in the gallery, its blank look and menacing teeth capitalize on preconceived ideas about the animal’s ferocity.  (On view in Chelsea at Yossi Milo Gallery through Dec 7th).

Simen Johan, Untitled #195, digital c-print, image: 49 ½ x 40 inches, 2018.

Michiko Kon at Robert Mann Gallery

Inspired by Surrealist Meret Oppenheim’s performance ‘Cannibal’s Feast,’ Japanese photographer Michiko Kon’s food-based sculptural creations from the 90s fascinate and disturb in equal measure.  This photo, currently on view at Robert Mann Gallery, showcases a boot crafted from ark clam shells and a real fish head.  By evoking luxury goods popular in pre-crash 90s Japan and creating them in perishable materials, Kon updates the vanitas genre for more recent times.  (On view through Oct 19th).

Michiko Kon, Ark Shells and Boot, platinum palladium print, 20 x 16 inches, 1996.

David Benjamin Sherry at Salon94

David Benjamin Sherry’s photos depict familiar-seeming western landscapes but in colors that force viewers to ask what they’re seeing.  Man’s impact on the environment comes to mind, as does the emotional value of portraying these spaces in vibrant pink or purple or yellow tones.  In his latest series, ‘American Monuments,’ Sherry shot locations newly threatened by having their protected status removed to allow resource extraction.   (On view at Salon94 on the Lower East Side through Oct 26th).

David Benjamin Sherry, View from Muley Point, Bears Ears National Monument, Utah, chromogenic print, 2018.

Mitch Epstein at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

‘Property Rights,’ Mitch Epstein’s latest photography series focuses on contested land in the U.S., from protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock to the conflict between immigration activists and self-organized patrols along the southern border.  Though each location is defined by its tensions, Epstein’s photos are marked by their calmness and sensitivity to the experience of everyday people navigating the impact of larger forces on their lives.  (On view at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. in Chelsea through Oct 5th).

Mitch Epstein, Border Wall, Nogales, Arizona 2017, chromogenic print, 25.125 x 33.5 inches, 2017.

Roy DeCarava at David Zwirner Gallery

Roy DeCarava’s velvety toned black and white photographs aimed for expression, not documentation, seeking to capture scenes of African-American life in Harlem and beyond with ‘penetrating insight and understanding’.  Over one hundred silver gelatin photos now on view at David Zwirner Gallery in Chelsea celebrate the centennial of DeCarava’s birth while showcasing the artist’s ability to sensitively portray a variety of subjects, from the everyday life of families to thrilling portraits of jazz musicians like Jimmy Scott.  (On view through Oct 26th).

Roy DeCarava, Jimmy Scott singing, silver gelatin print, 14 x 11 inches, 1956.