Tag: tribeca galleries

Jonathan Baldock at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery

Describing his new stoneware vessels at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery as ‘imperfect reliquaries,’ London-based artist Jonathan Baldock imprints the cylindrical forms with evidence of his own hand and adds cast body parts and funereal herbs.  In additional sewn works, 3-D heads emerge from flat felt and hessian textile backgrounds, staging a miraculous entrance from the picture into real space.  Likewise, the uncanny ceramic forms suggest an unknowable quality to the human body and its manifestations.  (On view in Tribeca through April 2nd).

Jonathan Baldock, Scuffle, stoneware and glaze filled with rosemary, 22 x 14 x 13 inches, 2022.

Mark Ryan Chariker at 1969 Gallery

Mark Ryan Chariker’s atmospheric paintings at 1969 Gallery are an intriguing anomaly, situating contemporary characters wearing fashions inspired by European art history in historic-looking settings.  In most paintings, none of the elongated, Mannerist characters seem to be saying a word, but each appears to play a role in an understated drama or fateful moment.  Here, in a painting titled ‘Burning Ceremony,’ five figures demonstrate varying degrees of disregard for an unidentifiable flaming object in a huge dish.  Lackadaisical and lacking conviction, their ritual suggests a culture adrift. (On view through Feb 26th.  Proof of vaccination and masks are required).


Mark Ryan Chariker, Burning Ceremony, oil on linen, 24 x 20 inches, 2021.

Mary Obering at Bortolami Gallery

Inspired by her love of art history and travel to Italy, New York-based artist Mary Obering infuses modern, minimal style with references to early Renaissance art to create dynamic and luminous paintings.  Bortolami Gallery’s current presentation of her work from 1972 – 2003 includes this 1992 painting that balances light and dark colors in a way that moves the eye around the canvas, creating a lively circular movement enriched by glowing panels of gold leaf.  Blocks of color in egg tempera – painted to show the artist’s hand through fluctuations of color – have an extra vibrant glow, adding to the uplift and pleasure of the piece.  (On view in Tribeca through Feb 26th. Masks and social distancing are required.)

Mary Obering, A2 + Y2, egg tempera and gold leaf on gessoed panels, 2 panels, total dimensions: 84 x 84 inches, 1992.

Mulyana at Sapar Contemporary

Indonesian artist Mulyana’s playful knit and crocheted sculptures are an immediate draw at Sapar Contemporary in Tribeca for their fantastical forms and bright colors.  Whether replicating a coral reef or crafting one of his signature alien or octopus-like creatures, the artist uses soft materials that create a feeling of comfort and intimate familiarity.  His intention is to encourage respect for the wonders of the natural world, titling his show ‘Fragile Ecologies,’ and explaining that for him, the process of creating the work is an act of meditation or prayer.  (On view in Tribeca through March 4th. Masks and social distancing required.)

Mulyana, foreground) Mogus 93, yarn, dacron, felt, 11 3/8 x 7 ½ x 26 ¾ inches, 2021.

Ann Agee at PPOW Gallery

Inspired by Florentine salt cellars depicting religious imagery, Ann Agee’s contemporary Madonna and child sculptures rethink traditional devotional objects.  After an online taster exhibition featuring mother and child sculpture in summer ‘20, Agee rewards an in-person visit to PPOW Gallery with dozens of sculptures in wonderfully bold patterns and styles that range from detailed to abstract.  Occupying one huge pedestal at the center of the gallery, Agee’s homage to mothers and – in this case female – children is a celebration of variety and invention. (On view in Tribeca through July 23rd.)

Ann Agee, installation view of ‘Madonnas and Handwarmers,’ July 2021.