Jessie Henson’s sewn works on paper at Broadway Gallery’s project room are unabashedly beautiful, harnessing the allure of gold to draw viewers in. Abstract yet evoking natural forms – earth’s strata, a horizon – Henson composes patterns with thread and her industrial sewing machine. Waves of textured color wash across the surface of each piece, made more dynamic by the literal bending of paper loaded with thread. Abundant use of 12, 18 and 24K gold – together with areas of day-glo orange, flecks of blue or pink – resist the suggestion of realistic representation, creating a kind of hybrid beauty derived from nature and the man-made. (On view in Tribeca through July 28th).
Tag: sewn painting
Josefina Concha at Praxis Gallery
Chilean artist Josefina Concha’s textile-based sculptures, now on view at Chelsea’s Praxis Gallery, are immediately intriguing for their color, form and technique as well as their playful engagement with art history. Situated front and center in the gallery is a table covered with undulating fabric, an update on Judy Chicago’s famous Dinner Party installation with a new guest list that includes Concha’s expressive, sewn paintings of Alice Neel, Velasquez and Francis Bacon installed over the table. Elsewhere, a vibrantly colored, minimal panel pays homage to Agnes Martin while these two clustered organic forms recall the open blooms of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings. (On view through June 2nd).