“The hierarchy of the word ‘front’ is so strong…” explained painter Dona Nelson in a recent interview, concisely conveying how rule-breaking it still feels to exhibit paintings in an upright freestanding frame vs wall mounting them. Her current show at Chelsea’s Thomas Erben Gallery includes two-sided paintings like ‘Early September,’ a canvas that combines a grid system and patterns of dripped lines to play order and chaos against each other. (On view through April 3rd).
Last summer’s popular group show ‘Ecofeminism(s)’ at Thomas Erben Gallery, curated by Monika Fabijanska, has reopened after the summer break for another brief run. Audiences can take in artworks by iconic artists who probe human relationships to nature and get another chance to check out Alaska-based Sonya Kelliher-Combs’ delicately crafted ‘Mark, Polar Bear,’ which veils the U.S. flag with polar bear fur. (On view in Chelsea through Sept 26th. No appointment is necessary but visitor numbers are limited and masks are required.)
Berlin-based artist Kathrin Sonntag is no stranger to quiet moments in the studio; past photos of seemingly banal environments allude to the paranormal or time travel. As part of Thomas Erben Gallery’s ‘First Responders’ series – an ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic by gallery artists – Sonntag presents a series of images made in the solitude of her workspace in 2004. The photos turn the everyday moment into magic; here, nail scissors come to life and mince across the floor. To see more from Sonntag’s unique POV, visit the gallery’s Instagram or Facebook page.
A paper floats into the frame of a Krazy Kat cartoon, and Krazy questions the ‘kwee mokks’ all over it. This scenario captivates one of Marcus Weber’s oddball characters, who are themselves unexpected and unexplained. Though their unibrows suggest an adult seriousness, they avidly read the funnies, positioning their identity somewhere between adult and kid and tantalizingly out of reach. (At Thomas Erben Gallery in Chelsea through May 19th).
German painter Marcus Webber draws inspiration from odd moments experienced in daily street life; his paintings titled after public places, like ‘N-Platz (Nolli)’ include odd characters like the robed figures with triangular heads who attract a stare from a circular-headed shopper in the foreground. (In ‘Painting in due time’ at Thomas Erben Gallery in Chelsea through July 28th.)
