Danish artist Rose Eken lovingly recreates an imagined punk rock venue cum anthropological display with her ‘Remain in Light’ installation at The Hole. Here, she’s arranged cigarette lighters, butts, matches, beer bottles, amps and many, many more artifacts handmade from paperclay in what the gallery calls, ‘…a personalized memorial to NYC’s dwindling lawless zones and the mayhem they contained.’ (Through Nov 2nd).
Rose Eken, installation view of ‘Remain in Light’ at The Hole, Oct, 2014.
Found paintings, shopping bags, books and more items gathered from his everyday life in Berlin and New York inspired the abstract collage-paintings in Arturo Herrera’s latest solo show. (At Sikkema Jenkins in Chelsea through Nov 15th).
Arturo Herrera, Untitled (Liebe), mixed media on canvas, 43.25 x 22.5 inches, 2014.
Inspired by the Fujianese practice of adding an annual coat of lacquer to your coffin in old age, Beijing-based painter Wang Guangle adds layers of paint to his ‘Coffin Paint’ canvases to signify the passage of time. (At Pace Gallery, 510 West 25th Street, through Nov 1st).
Wang Guangle, (detail) Coffin Paint 140404, acrylic on canvas, 2014.
Art and science meet in Alyson Shotz’s otherworldly steel wire and glass bead sculpture at Derek Eller Gallery. Titled ‘Invariant Interval’ after the spaces between coordinates in a grid that measures spacetime, the piece achieves Shotz’s goal of “…investigating the basic forces that shape our entire physical and metal experience of life” while managing to look gorgeous at the same time. (In Chelsea through Nov 8th).
Alyson Shotz, installation view of Invariant Interval, stainless steel wire, glass beads and aluminum collars, 98 x 104 x 230 inches, Derek Eller Gallery, Oct 2014.
Beijing-based artist Liu Bolin pictures himself in this larger-than-life sculpture going through airport security. Contrary to the freedom of flying, the artist describes this gesture as abandoning independence and offering a prayer for safety. Covered in designs based on snack food packaging, Liu Bolin simultaneously suggests identity further compromised. (At Chelsea’s Klein Sun Gallery through Nov 1st).
Liu Bolin, Security Check No 1, acrylic on copper, 80 ¾ x 37 3/8 x 21 5/8 inches, 2014.
Titled ‘Chuck’ after his travelling salesman father, Houston-based artist Jeremy Deprez’s huge abstract painting takes its cue from a popular vertical stripe pattern in men’s dress shirts. Sized XXL (at over 14 feet long), the painting is a tour de force of optical illusion and gives new meaning to the concept of power dressing. (At Zach Feuer Gallery in Chelsea, through Nov 8th).
Untitled (Chuck), acrylic on canvas, 111 x 176 1/2, 2014.
This small exhibition of work by the Chinese dissident artist Ai Wei Wei at Chelsea’s Chambers Fine Art shows the artist continuing to work on themes related to the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan province. Here, a marble rendering of a twisted piece of metal rebar is placed on each casket, acting as memorial to the thousands of children who died when their shoddily constructed schools collapsed. (Through Nov 1st).
Ai Wei Wei, installation of ‘Rebar Casket and Marble Rebar,’ nos I – VIII, huali wood, marble and foam, 2014.
Black, yellow, red and white rectangles in Sadie Benning’s ‘Julie’s Rug’ painting suggest a national flag but the title refers to artist, activist and Group Material co-founder Julie Ault. Part of Benning’s solo show ‘Patterns’ at Callicoon Fine Arts on the Lower East Side, the handmade forms zing with energy and import. (Through Oct 26th).
Sadie Benning, Julie’s Rug, medite, aqua resin, casein and acrylic, 60 5/8 x 70 3/8 inches, 2014.
Inspired by the fact that the Drawing Center’s 1866 SoHo building originally housed a loom company, Chicago-based artist Anne Wilson’s installation is an artwork being gradually created by winding and crossing thread around the gallery’s columns. (Through December 14th).
Anne Wilson, To Cross (Walking New York), site-specific performance and sculpture, 2014.
Though German artist Tomma Abts makes no use of source material, preferring to conjure shapes and forms from an intuitive trial and error process, the shapes in ‘Fenke’ brings to mind origami forms, unwrapped packaging and more. Playing with our perception of depth, she even slices a corner from this soothingly green canvas. (At David Zwirner Gallery through Oct 25th).
Tomma Abts, Fenke, acrylic and oil on canvas, 18 7/8 x 15 inches, 2014.
Jane Corrigan blends average looks and extraordinary hair in portraits of young female athletes, finding moments of wonder in the everyday. (At Kerry Schuss on the Lower East Side through Oct 26th).
Jane Corrigan, Windbreaker (Adidas), oil on linen, 26.5 x 31 inches, 2014.
Whether he’s building up a support from layers of paper or putting down thick strokes of paint, American painter Stanley Lewis constructs heavily considered, highly absorbing scenes from the world around him. (At Betty Cuningham Gallery, now located on the Lower East Side, through October 25th).
Stanley Lewis, (detail from) Boat on the Beach, Lake Chautauqua, oil on canvas, 2013.
Mass groups of nude men and women, pawns in a larger social design, populate European-American artist Irving Norman’s work from the late 60s to 80s, now on view at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery. Here, futuristic planes packed with passengers shoot out polluting smoke as they blast ominously forward. (In Chelsea through October 25th).
Irving Norman, Airport, oil on canvas, 92 x 119 ¾ inches, 1972.
Ricco Maresca’s excellent ‘Body Electric’ group exhibition of vintage and designed-for-the-body contemporary art takes tattooing to a new level. Here, a sampling of work from Colin Dale (top left), Jacqueline Spoerle (bottom right and left) and Duke Riley (top right) combine detail, skill and originality. (In Chelsea through Oct 25th).
Installation view of ‘Body Electric,’ including work by Colin Dale, Jacqueline Spoerle and Duke Riley at Ricco Maresca, Oct, 2014.
Famous for photographing evidence of cultural mixing/cross-over, artist duo Robbins and Becher travelled the country shooting images of Ten Commandment sculptures, some of which have sparked controversy when placed on public property. Here, the world’s largest version features letters five feet high. (At Chelsea’s Sonnabend Gallery through Oct 25th.)
Andrea Robbins and Max Becher, Fields of the Wood, Murphy, North Carolina.
The title of New York sculptor Mark di Suvero’s latest monumental steel sculpture, ‘Luney Breakout,’ says it all. Resembling a zany all-elbows-and-knees character with wild swooping hair, the 22 foot tall piece is either mad, exuberant or both. (At Paula Cooper Gallery’s 534 West 21st Street location, through Oct 22nd.)
Mark di Suvero, Luney Breakout, 22 ft, 3 inches, x 22 ft, 6 inches x 12 ft, 6 inches, steel, 2013.
Using his collection of manual typewriters, James Siena departs from his characteristic patterned, ruled-based paintings to designs resembling concrete poetry in a joint show with Orly Genger at Sargent’s Daughters. Including both legible numbers and abstract design, works like this one create an entertaining conundrum for the eye. (On the Lower East Side through Oct 26th).
James Siena, 1234567890 (ascending and descending in two directions), ink on paper, 11 x 8 ½ inches, 2013.
‘The End of Signature’ by New York based Polish artist Agnieszka Kurant compiles hundreds of signatures into one long scrawl, appearing on the gallery wall in black coloring on a long, tube and replicated by this machine. Kurant’s piece bears witness, neither critically nor enthusiastically, to the increase of typed communication and digital signatures. (At Tanya Bonakdar Gallery through Oct 18th).
Agnieszka Kurant, detail of The End of Signature, glass tubing, water pump, black coloring and water, installed with autopen machine, pillar of paper and ink pens, 2014.
Irish artist Genieve Figgis reaches back into history for characters to populate her paintings of cultured pastimes and leisure pursuits, but she seems to only partly resuscitate her ghoulish figures. Here, an 18th century social gathering includes crazed and casual guests. (At Half Gallery on the Upper East Side through Oct 25th).
Genieve Figgis, A Social Portrait, acrylic on canvas, 39.3 x 23.6 inches, 2014.
Slip on a hospital smock and you can test drive a ‘perfect baby’ model in Rachel Lee Hovnanian’s nursery/showroom at Leila Heller Gallery’s Chelsea location. Hovnanian’s dystopic vision looks ahead to a time when it’s possible to engineer perfect achievers; each baby comes with its own stellar future resume. (Through October 18th).
Rachel Lee Hovnanian, Perfect Baby Showroom, wallpaper, extension cords, baby dolls, metal, acrylic, wood, neon light, foam, cotton fabric, LED lights, cereal, dimensions variable, 2014.
Quoting from literature through the ages, two boys choir members trade insults in sweet, soaring voices as they move around Barbara Gladstone Gallery climbing and sitting on marble slabs. Human emotion, soon-to-change voices and eternal forces of nature are artist duo Allora & Calzadilla’s interests in the performance they’ve orchestrated. (Through October 11th).
Allora & Calzadilla, installation view of the performance ‘Fault Lines’ at Barbara Gladstone Gallery, Sept 2014.
Early TV sitcoms, news shows, music videos and more inspired new sculpture and 2-D collage by New York artist Derrick Adams at Jack Tilton Gallery. His ‘Boxhead’ characters, like this girl, are colorful and attention-grabbing ciphers. (On the Upper East Side through October 18th).
Derrick Adams, Boxhead #3, mixed media 23 x 28 x 19 inches, 2014.
In a move bound to irk art-lovers who want to see hands-on art making, British conceptual artist Jonathan Monk riffed on Jeff Koons’ fabricated rabbit sculpture by copying it, slightly deflated in 2009. Now, he’s presenting a remake of that piece, but he worked from photos rather than actual measurements of the original, suggesting a tiny measure of creativity or freedom from exactitude. (At Chelsea’s Casey Kaplan Gallery through October 18th).
Jonathan Monk, A Copy of Deflated Sculpture No. 1, stainless steel, 40.5 x 23 x 15”, 2014.
Missouri-based photographer Julie Blackmon’s take on the Beatles Abbey Road album cover suggests a different kind of band – a precociously independent group of young entrepreneurs marching along to the beat of their own drummer. (At Chelsea’s Robert Mann Gallery through October 18th).
Julie Blackmon, Thin Mints, 59 x 81.625 inches, 2014.
It’s hard to believe that Deborah Butterfield’s latest horse sculptures are crafted from bronze, the patina applied to their surface is so believable. Each towering creature represents a different animal’s character and mood, making this show a must-see for more than just horse-lovers. (At Chelsea’s Danese Corey through October 11th).
Deborah Butterfield, Otter, unique cast bronze with patina, 91.25 x 117 x 33 inches, 2014.
As many as 100 photographs might be layered into one of Israel/New York-based artist Shai Kremer’s images of One World Trade Center’s construction site, to which he had special access from 2011 – 2013. This photo turns construction into a pleasing geometry that balances ladders and girders while just hinting at the incredible amount of activity – on and behind the scenes – that went into rebuilding this site. (At Julie Saul Gallery through October 25th).
Shai Kremer, World Trade Center: Concrete Abstract #13, pigment print, 48 x 64 inches, 2011-2013.
Sophie Crumb ups the absurdity of a 2007 Paris Vogue supermarket fashion shoot with her skillful watercolor and ink renditions of the original magazine photos. Sharing a show with her mother, Aline Crumb at Lower East Side gallery DCKT Contemporary, both artists present fascinating portraits of fashion victims. (Through October 19th).
Sophie Crumb, Le Gout des Robes, watercolor & ink on paper, 12 7/8 x 17inches, 2011.
Layers of patterned origami paper painted onto canvas appear to be paper-clipped onto their supports in Greg Parma Smith’s inventive solo show at David Lewis Gallery. Behind them, a host of animated characters suggests that people and paper are waiting to be transformed into something more – a story set against a patterned backdrop? (On the Lower East Side through October 5th).
Greg Parma Smith at David Lewis Gallery, September, 2014.
Multi-media artist and media darling Dan Colen points to Disney films as a source for his latest, mostly abstract, paintings collectively called ‘Miracle.’ Here, ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ features an arc of sparkles painted in raw pigment and oil. Colen’s process-based style is so fashionable at the moment as to prompt the question of whether this piece demonstrates magic with painting or marketing. (At Gagosian Gallery through October 18th).
Dan Colen, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, oil and raw pigment, 67 x 102 inches, 2013.
Known for vivid paintings composed of layers or drips of resin, German artist Markus Linnenbrink takes his embrace of color a step further in his latest solo show at Chelsea’s Ameringer McEnery & Yohe by creating an installation in the gallery’s back room that allows visitors to walk right into a painting. (Through October 4th).
Markus Linnenbrink, installation view at Ameringer McEnery & Yohe, Sept 2014.
Brooklyn-based artist Tom Fruin recalls Lady Liberty’s flame and the colorful city grid in new sculpture at Chelsea’s Mike Weiss Gallery – both to be appreciated from the seat of a custom-designed swing. (Through October 18th).
Tom Fruin, (left) Billboard, powder-coated laser-cut steel, Plexiglas and painted aluminum, (right) Flame, steel and Detroit factory window glass, Dutch Masters Swing (Blue), powder-coated laser-cut steel and found chain, all three pieces 2014.
Late Polish artist Alina Szapocznikow’s cast of her own lips as a lamp act as erotic beacon yet resemble a golf club, suggesting a mix of attraction and violence that makes this piece standout in Luxembourg & Dayan’s excellent group exhibition ‘The Obscure Object of Desire.’ (Through October 4th).
Alina Szapocznikow, Lampe-bouche, colored polyester resin, electrical wiring, and metal, 17 ¾ x 6 x 4 inches, 1966.
Fred Wilson seems to bait his viewers by draining his show at Pace Gallery of color, presenting two austere bronzes in black and white, monochromatic flags from African and African diasporic countries, and more. The oversimplified dichotomy between black and white clashes with the variety of cultures represented by the sculpture and flags, encouraging a more nuanced engagement with racial difference. (In Chelsea through October 18th).
Fred Wilson, The Mete of the Muse, bronze with black patina and bronze with white paint, 2006.
Traditional women’s work becomes political in an international way in Mona Hatoum’s latest solo show at Chelsea’s Alexander and Bonin Gallery. Featuring panels woven by Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, the installation symbolizes cultural practices interrupted by war. (Through October 18th).
Mona Hatoum with Inaash, Twelve Windows, 12 pieces of Palestinian embroidery on fabric, wooden clothes pegs, steel cable, each 39 3/8 x 29 3/8 inches, 2012-13.
Globe-trotting Swiss artist Not Vital fills Sperone Westwater’s Lower East Side gallery with stainless steel heads that echo the austere, clean line of the gallery’s architecture. As much as the reflective material draws the viewer in, however, the uniform, monochromatic surface repels investigation into the character of these heads, which were partly inspired by huge Buddha the artist encountered in his travels. (Through October 4th).
Not Vital, installation view of ‘Everton’ at Sperone Westwater Gallery, September 2014.
Marlene McCarty closes out her ‘Murder Girls’ series that pictures girls who have killed with this huge, four-part ballpoint and graphite drawing. Instead of showing the face of someone who has taken a life, McCarty hides it in a screen of wild hair, suggesting mental turmoil. (At Sikkema Jenkins in Chelsea through Oct 4th).
Marlene McCarty, series titled: ’14,’ graphite and ballpoint pen on paper, 71 x 94 inches each of four drawings, 2014.
Jean Lowe’s imagined auction items in her latest exhibition, supposedly culled from historical papers and ephemera, demonstrate the artist’s delightfully absurd sense of humor while poking fun at what might be considered sale-worthy at auction. (At McKenzie Fine Art through Oct 12th).
Jean Lowe, ‘Ephemera (Lost Time),’ acrylic and watercolor on paper, 22 ¼ x 19 ¼ inches, 2013.
Marco Breuer’s endless experimentation with abstract photography continues with a new show at Chelsea’s Yossi Milo Gallery for which he folds, burns, scratches, and and scrapes the surface of photos to create layered records of removed information. (Through Nov 1st).
Marco Breuer, Untitled (C-1471), chromogenic paper, folded/burned/scraped, 15 ½ “ x 12 1/16,” unique, 2014.
In a futuristic city inhabited by robots, stories of two dogs and a married couple loosely intertwine as one character tries to disentangle real from false memories. As could be expected, the protagonist never separates one from the other, but the process of watching is mesmerizing. (At Eleven Rivington’s 195 Chrystie Street location through October 5th).
Adam Shecter, installation view of ‘New Year’ at Eleven Rivington Gallery, September 2014.
Butterflies inspire and energize New York City artist Paul Villinski’s sculptural practice, which includes a self-portrait sculpture that doubles as a butterfly habitat, butterflies crafted from cans, and a purpose-built containment area designed to breed butterflies (pictured here in detail). His latest show at Morgan Lehman in Chelsea features all three projects, collectively showcasing the wonder of this insect. (Through Oct 11th).
Paul Villinski, (detail) Butterfly Machine, mixed media, electric and hydroponic components, plants, butterflies, 2014.
Beautiful organic forms, a trace of violence in a smear of blood, a mysteriously hazy landscape and a young woman crowned with a wig of wool and hidden by a totemic mask by Zipora Fried create an atmosphere of enticing mystery at her impressive solo show at On Stellar Rays on the Lower East Side (through October 12th).
Zipora Fried, Installation view of ‘I Hope the Moon Explodes,’ at On Stellar Rays, September, 2014.
Cars have given photographer Justine Kurland the freedom to travel the country shooting unforgettable photos on her road trips; her latest series is a gritty but beautifully shot homage of sorts to the mechanics who keep them going. (At Mitchell-Innes and Nash in Chelsea through October 11th).
Justine Kurland, For Abigail, inkjet print, 18 ½ x 24 inches, 2014.
A low sound of waves and chirping is a subtle accompaniment to Anissa Mack’s clusters of helium dolphins; this hint of ‘real’ nature sharply contrasts the balloons’ reference to theme parks and carnivals and adds a little whimsy and wonder to mass produced inflatables. (At Laurel Gitlen Gallery on the Lower East Side through October 19th).
Anissa Mack, installation view of ‘Deep, Deep Pepsi’ at Laurel Gitlen Gallery, Sept 2014.
New York-based British photographer Paul Graham mixes and scatters photos of rainbows shot in Ireland, pawn shops and images of his young partner asleep on the walls his latest solo show at Pace Gallery in a somewhat obvious but nevertheless beautiful mediation on finding your luck. (At Pace Gallery’s 510 West 25th Street location through Oct 4).
Paul Graham, installation view of ‘Does Yellow Run Forever?’ at Pace Gallery’s 510 West 25th Street location, Sept, 2014.
How do babies see the world without benefit (or burden) of language and experience in interpreting forms? This question inspired Brooklyn artist and new father Johannes VanDerBeek’s more or less obviously human figures, including this flattened, rabbit-like form and a striding figure at Chelsea’s Zach Feuer Gallery (through Oct 4th).
Johannes VanDerBeek, to the left: Running in Grass, aqua-resin, fiberglass, steel, clay, silicon, paint, 65 x 45 inches, 2014. To the right: Early Outline with Leaning Features, Celluclay, Aqua-Resin, paint, steel, including base: 87 x 24 x ¼ inches, 2014.
Young LA-based artist David Benjamin Sherry made his name with eco-conscious photos that alter the landscape of the American west. Here, he collages several photos together making a quilt-like pattern of stones that resembles a Playdoh sculpture or a well-intentioned but garish re-do of nature. (At Salon94 on the Lower East Side and Danziger Gallery in Chelsea through Oct 25th).
David Benjamin Sherry, Emotional Algorithm Epoch, Joshua Tree, California I, collage of traditional color darkroom photos, 40 x 50 inches, 2014.
Dreaming of escape to a summer rental property, Brooklyn-bound artist David Kramer’s stayed in town prepping this show, which features paintings and a replica of a cabin’s front porch, littered with beer cans. The elephant in the room is this over 9 foot tall self-portrait of the artist as lumberjack whose imaginary might is coincidently paralleled in this image by a gallery staff member cleaning after opening night. (At Thierry Goldberg Gallery on the Lower East Side through October 5th).
David Kramer, Self-Portrait as a Lumberjack, mixed media, 113 x 56 x 26 inches, 2014.
For sheer ambition, not much in Chelsea beats New York artist Jacob Hashimoto’s wondrous ‘Skyfarm Fortress’ at Mary Boone Gallery. Thousands of paper and wood ‘kites’ create a space that looks like fantasy architecture or a structure pulled into reality form the digital realm. (Through Oct 25th).
Jacob Hashimoto, Skyfarm Fortress, acrylic, paper/Dacron, wood, dimensions variable, 2014.
Inspired by the modern glass wall grid of Mies van der Rohe’s 1951 Lake Shore Drive Apartments, Warsaw-based artist Monika Sosnowska’s ‘Tower’ reverses the aspiration and elegance of International Style. Sprawled on the ground an curling like a dying leaf, the massive steel structure is a blunt symbol of failed ideals. (At Hauser & Wirth Gallery in Chelesa through October 25th).
Monika Sosnowska, Tower, steel, paint, unique, 2014.
Looking like someone’s giant selfie gone wrong, this painting by LA artist Brian Calvin depicts a carefully dressed figure in the blush of youth, whose crooked teeth take center stage to suggest a momentary lapse in managed self-presentation. (At Anton Kern Gallery through Oct 4th).
Brian Calvin, Ha, acrylic and flashe on canvas, 72 x 48 inches, 2014.
Known for sculptures that initiate processes that yield attractive results (like an engine block transformed by gorgeous copper sulphate crystals), British artist Roger Hiorns goes for a gritty sci-fi feel in the back gallery at Chelsea’s Luhring Augustine. Compressors pump air through grimy car parts creating billows of soap suds that make these quasi-organic figures appear sentient, if barely. (Through Oct 18th).
Roger Hiorns, installation view at Luhring Augustine Gallery, Chelsea, Sept 2014. All works: Untitled, plastic, compressor, and foam, 2014.
Cleverly placed near the gallery entrance, late sculptor Louise Kruger’s bulky ‘Standing Dog’ could –for an instant – be mistaken as a real pet tagging along with gallery visitors. Other charmingly odd wood figures stand out amongst work in fabric and metal by an artist who developed her own unique folk/pop artistic language. (At Chelsea’s Lori Bookstein Fine Art through Oct 4th).
Louise Kruger, Standing Dog, pine, 27 x 16 x 38 inches, c. 1970-75.
New media takes a turn for the traditional in David Hockney’s new series at Pace Gallery, for which his iPad drawings are displayed as prints. Still, the Brit art icon’s colors remain vibrant, transforming the English countryside with fantastical, south-of-France brightness. (At Pace’s 508 West 25th Street space in Chelsea through Nov 1st).
David Hockney, The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty eleven) – 5 May, 2011, iPad drawing printed on paper, 55” x 41 ½”
A room eighty feet long is condensed into 18 feet in Roxy Paine’s latest uncanny scene from his Diorama series – an airport security checkpoint crafted entirely in maple wood, devoid of humans and presented for contemplation. (At Chelsea’s Marianne Boesky Gallery through October 18th).
Roxy Paine, Checkpoint, maple, aluminum, fluorescent light bulbs, and acrylic prismatic light diffusers, 14 ‘ h x 26’ – 11” w x 18’ – 7 1/2” d, 2014.
Nick Cave’s latest body of work – filling both of Jack Shainman’s Chelsea galleries – was inspired when Cave was stunned to find a spittoon in the shape of a African-American man’s head at a flea market. Since then, he’s collected similar figures, like this lawn jockey who recalls the legend of a slave boy who froze to death while holding a lantern for George Washington’s historic Delaware River crossing. Standing on a shoe-shine chair and surrounded by a shrine-like collection of bric-a-brac, Cave repositions an icon from America’s troubled past. (On view through Oct 11th).
Nick Cave, Fear Not, Therefore (detail), mixed media including cast-iron figure, shoe shine chair, ceramic birds, strung beads and metal flowers, 77 x 44 x 30 inches, 2014.\
Bouchra Khalili’s video installation in the New Museum’s Arab art exhibition movingly documents the travels and travails of immigrants coming to Europe without papers. The tales of their setbacks and successes are mesmerizing. (Through Sept 28th).
Bouchra Khalili, The Mapping Journey Project, eight videos, color, sound, 2008-11.
Trinidad-born artist Romy Scheroder explains that she was thinking of the strictures of colonial culture (wood) vs adaptation by the population (rubber bands) in her sculpture Skin (seen here in the background). Despite the serious subtext, two mirrored chairs delight in the foreground with a joyful dance. (At the Museo del Barrio through September 6th).
Romy Scheroder, Mirror, Mirror, found chairs, 2014.
Jeff Koons’ name is synonymous with high production values and what the New York Times called ‘art for billionaires and oligarchs.’ Despite the exclusivity, most Koons works are designed to appeal, from the flowering sculpture currently installed at Rockefeller Center to this stainless steel heart and aluminum Playdoh pile at the Whitney Museum where the artist is currently enjoying a career retrospective. (Through October 19th).
Jeff Koons, Hanging Heart (Violet/Gold), 1994-2006, mirror-polished stainless steel with transparent color coating.
For eight years in the 60s and 70s, iconic New York photographer Bill Cunningham took pictures his friend, neighbor and celebrity portrait photographer Editta Sherman in period clothes in front of famous New York City landmarks. Here, in one of the earliest images in his ‘Facades’ project, Sherman poses in front of St Paul’s Chapel in late 17th century clothes purchased in a second hand store for just a few dollars. (At the New York Historical Society (show extended).
Bill Cunningham, St Paul’s Chapel and Churchyard, (built ca 1766-1796, Broadway at Vesey Street), from the Façade series, 1968.
One hundred artists on two museum floors make the Museum of Art and Design’s ‘NYC Makers’ one of the busiest in town with lots to discover and explore. For these garments, conceptual artist Caroline Woolard and designer Lika Volkova recycled unwanted paintings by various artists into chic, mobile canvases. (Through October 12th).
Printed in life size and confronting viewers head-on, these arresting photos of South Sudan’s White Army show unique individuals who are nevertheless unknown. Taken by photojournalist Tim Freccia this year, they depict members of the Nuer ethnic group who are battling the nation’s other dominant group, the Dinka. (At Chelsea’s Ricco Maresca through September 13th.)
Tim Freccia, three type C-print surface mounted images, each titled ‘White Army,’ 84 x 42 inches, 2014.
Ghostly white fiberglass figures representing migrant workers in Tiananmen Square make roosts for flapping doves in Beijing artist Zhang Dali’s exhibition at Chelsea’s KleinSun Gallery. Despite the dove as symbol of hope, the figures are washed of color and identity, bespeaking drab anonymity. (Through August 30th).
Zhang Dali, installation view of ‘Square’ at Klein Sun Gallery, June, 2014. Fiberglass and baking varnish.
California artist Nancy Rubins has been collecting aluminum figures originally found on playgrounds; for her first major NY installation since showing at Lincoln Center in ’06, she combines them like organic masses into wall projections and freestanding sculpture to painterly effect. (At Gagosian Gallery’s 21st Street space through Sept 13th.)
Installation view of Nancy Rubins, ‘Our Friend Fluid Metal,’ at Gagosian Gallery’s 21st Street location, July, 2014.
Part of a series of images shot in Egyptian museums, this intriguing 2009 image by British photographer Jason Larkin could have been taken decades ago. It appears to tell of information forgotten and marginalized. (At Chelsea’s Flowers Gallery through August 30th).
Jason Larkin, Museum 11, #3, archival pigment print, 30 x 30 inches, 2009.
Thirsty visitors to Chelsea’s High Line park will want to keep walking past New York artist Josh Kline’s contribution to the outdoor public sculpture show ‘Archeo.’ In this industrial fridge under the Standard Hotel, Kline presents a selection of drink containers labeled with ingredients that might turn you into a label checker. They include: ‘minimum wage,’ French fries, Mr Clean, K-Y jelly and fake plant. Takers?
Installation view of ‘Skittles’ by Josh Kline in ‘Archeo’ on the High Line, New York City.
Abstract Expressionist fans won’t want to miss Cheim & Read Gallery’s summer exhibition of work by the late painter Joan Mitchell. It includes this thirteen-foot wide interpretation of trees, which pits aggressive forms against an elegantly cream-colored, muted background. (In Chelsea through August 29th).
Joan Mitchell, Trees, oil on canvas diptych, 94 ½ x 157 ½ inches, 1990-91.
Known for his creativity with photo printing processes (he presented heliographs created with tar from the La Brea Tar Pits in his last show) LA artist Matthew Brandt created this piece from his ‘Burnout’ series by using acid to thin out areas of velvet on which he’s reproduced an image of a garment created with the same burnout process. (In Chelsea at Yossi Milo Gallery through August 29th).
Matthew Brandt, from the series Burnouts, SR03A, silkscreen print on silk velvet with acid treatment, 54 ¼” x 42 1/2,” 2014.
Once called ‘radically slight’ by an admiring critic, New Zealand artist Kate Newby’s work looks deceptively simple. Here, she presents a selection of skipping stones crafted of porcelain, which she’s been known to present to friends with the request that they launch them across the water. (At Tracy Williams, Ltd. in Chelsea through Sept 3rd).
Kate Newby, Skimming stones formed by clapping hands, stoneware, porcelain, glaze, sand, cardboard, 15 x 15 inches, 2014.
Political, Pop artist Jerry Kearns turns up the volume at Mike Weiss Gallery with wall installations that could have a physical effect on viewers. (In Chelsea through August 23rd).
Installation view of Jerry Kearns: RRRGGHH!!! At Mike Weiss Gallery, July 2014.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has installed another winner in its long, narrow 1st floor hallway gallery (extraordinary Peruvian feathered panels lined the walls for the last show). Painted directly on the gallery walls, Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing #370 commands the space with its simple and perfectly executed geometric shapes. (Through September 7th).
Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #370, installation view in Gallery 399 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, August, 2014.
Tom Friedman, master of the surprisingly crafted object (e.g. an accident victim made from paper, a huge star made from tiny toothpicks) doesn’t disappoint in his latest solo show at Luhring Augustine’s Bushwick space. A standout is ‘Moot,’ a guitar, microphone with stand and stool created entirely from Styrofoam and paint. (Through August 22nd).
Tom Friedman, Moot, paint and Styrofoam, 2014.
Traditional Japanese Ikebana becomes art in the hands of New York artist Carissa Rodriguez (who memorably showed a Cartier clock owned by FDR at the Whitney Biennial this spring). In Anton Kern Gallery’s treasure-chest of a summer group exhibition, she saddles this gorgeous arrangement with the title ‘I Will Cook Myself Tomorrow,’ making it a kind of pre-memorial. (In Chelsea through August 22nd).
Center: Carissa Rodriquez, I Will Cook Myself Tomorrow,’ unique seasonal Ikebana arrangement, Sogetsu suiban vessel and custom pedestal, variable dimensions, 2012. To the left: ‘Blue Shelf’ by David Korty. To the right: ‘Vase (prototype) and paper bouquet,’ Marc Camille Chaimowicz.
This boy of summer doesn’t have a care in the world, despite having failed to take a swing at the ball whizzing in front of him. He’s as cheerful as a clothing model on a catalogue shoot yet his odd proportions make this painting by Daniel Heidkamp an engaging mix of familiar and strange. (At Jack Hanley Gallery through August 22nd).
Daniel Heidkamp, Town League Slugger, oil on linen, 36 x 30 inches, 2014.
One of Matthew Ronay’s previous shows at Andrea Rosen Gallery involved entering a large, curtain-enclosed space filled with natural forms – trees, totems – that referred to transcendent experiences. In Rosen’s smaller Gallery II space, Ronay showcases his own journey in meditative daily drawings like this one. (In Chelsea through Aug 22nd).
Matthew Ronay, 12.16.13, gouache on 140lb arches watercolor paper, 15 x 11 inches, 2013.
Andrew Edlin Gallery’s riotous group show ‘Purple States’ stands out among summer group shows for its energy. It includes this fanciful yellow, ceramic birdcage by Elisabeth Kley resting on patterns of her creation while a nearby, a friendly saint by legendary folk artist and minister Howard Finster stands and gestures. (In Chelsea through August 22nd).
Elisabeth Kley, Large Yellow Birdcage, glazed ceramic, 2014 on Patterned Scrolls, ink on Japanese paper, 2014. Next to: paint on wood figure, St John, 1999 by Howard Finster. Shooting stars by Howard Finster, mixed media, 1983 is behind.
With its gothic title, ‘Bloodflames Revisited,’ and catwalk running above a straw-covered floor, this is one of the more unusual shows on view in Chelsea at the moment. The setting is just right for Deborah Kass’ enthusiastic but ambiguous-feeling rainbow painting reading ‘Daddy, I would love to dance.’ (At Paul Kasmin Gallery through August 15th).
Deborah Kass, Daddy, acrylic on canvas, 2008.
If Dunkin’ Donuts used this image by Beth Galton in their advertising, I’d buy. Would you? (Though it is reminiscent of the anti-obesity ads on the subway…) (At Aperture Foundation in Chelsea through August 15th.)
Beth Galton, Coffee and Donut; from the series Cut Food, 2012.
Japanese collaborative digital artist group teamLab are making a huge splash on the New York art scene this summer with their exhibition, ‘Ultra Subjective Space.’ A seven screen installation featuring animated mythological crows in impossibly complicated flight patterns, an endlessly blossoming outcropping, a digital waterfall and more make this stunning show one to remember. (In Chelsea at Pace Gallery through August 15th, 2014).
Awol Erizku’s ‘Heads’ is a trip down memory lane, a tribute to the art of self-styling and a reminder that vanity involving hair isn’t just a female domain. (At Hasted Kraeutler, Chelsea, through August 15th).
Awol Erizku, Heads, grid of nine archival pigment prints in custom white frames, 2013.
Looking to sniff out some good summer group shows on the Lower East Side? These comic noses in rough clay by Danish artist Ditte Gantriis at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery are worth checking out; they bring to mind iconic character types and how quickly we interpret them. (Through August 15th).
Ditte Gantriis, Untitled, white sculpture clay, 11 ½ x 5 x 5 inches, 2014.
Brooklyn-based artist Elisa Lendvay’s totemic objects stand out in Asya Geisberg Gallery’s dystopic summer group show as tools for navigating a hostile environment. They bring to mind masks or divining rods without revealing any intended purpose, allowing us to invent our own uses. (Through Aug 15th).
Elisa Lendvay, (top) Inverted Pocket, papier mache, silver leaf, acrylic paint, 12 x 7 x 2.5,” 2012, (middle) Code, bamboo, papier mache, silver leaf, acrylic paint, wire, 16.5 x 18 x 2,” (bottom) Skate, wood, wire, plastic, papier mache, acrylic paint and medium, 17.5 x 11 x 1.25,” 2013.
Friedman Benda’s summer group exhibition, featuring contemporary Japanese art seen through a post-Fukushima Daiichi lens includes traditional architecture upended and mirrored by Takahiro Iwasaki and a mind-bending interactive installation by Kazuki Umezawa for which looking into an iPad at a digital print produces surprising results. (In Chelsea through August 8th).
Foreground: Takahiro Iwasaki, Reflection Models, wood, monofilament, 2014. Background: Kazuki Umezawa, AR image core involving all, digital print on tarpaulin sheet, 2 iPads, 2013.
Split down the middle and at the sides, this cast body in aluminum by LA artist Naotaka Hiro, succinctly describes a divided psyche, even summoning an animal body. The cast negative space between the legs resembles a phallus but was created by absence, making this enigmatic artwork strikingly poignant. (At Flag Art Foundation in Chelsea through August 8th).
Naotaka Hiro, Four-Legged (Toe to Heel), aluminum, wood, 18 x 20 x 65 inches, 2014.
Brooklyn-based artist Alison Elizabeth Taylor’s more recent New York solo show in Fall ‘13 at Chelsea’s James Cohan Gallery was a gratifying chance to witness her wizardry with wood veneer in 2-D scenes of natural destruction; but her contribution to the gallery’s excellent summer group show – a western home invaded by a storm tossed tree – is a knockout. (Seen in detail.) (Through August 8th).
Alison Elizabeth Taylor, Kitchen (detail), wood veneer, oil, acrylic, shellac, 92 x 116 inches, 2014.
‘Another Look at Detroit’ is one of the summer’s major exhibitions, showing at powerhouse galleries Marlborough Chelsea and Marianne Boesky Gallery, but it starts off with this initially underwhelming weed by New York sculptor Tony Matelli located near the entrance of Marlborough. Look closer, however, and this meticulously crafted, painted bronze plant becomes an object of wonder. (Through August 8th).
Tony Matelli, Weed #293, painted bronze, 11 x 9 x 13 inches, 2014.
Made with a camera obscura, George Woodman’s photo ‘Grapes, a Mexican Bride, and a Classical Harvest’ uses old technology to create a scene that evokes nostalgia for different eras of history. (At Jeff Bailey Gallery through August 8th.)
George Woodman, Grapes, a Mexican Bride, and a Classical Harvest, gelatin silver print, 42 x 39.5 inches, 1999.
Art fairs draw private transactions and moments into the public eye, making them fertile subject matter for street-style photography. San Francisco artist Andy Freeberg’s series ‘Art Fare’ captures quirkily funny moments like this one, in which art handlers become part of the installation. (At Chelsea’s Andrea Meislin Gallery through August 8th).
Andy Freeberg, Anne de Villepoix, archival pigment print, 30 x 45 inches, 2011.
Mary Heilmann’s two acrylic on paper pieces, both titled ‘Negative Space,’ in David Zwirner Gallery’s summer ‘Paintings on Paper’ group exhibition look like sections of the gallery wall coming forward into the viewer’s space and casting impossibly dark shadows behind, a clever illusion created with simple means. (In Chelsea through August 15th).
Mary Heilmann, Negative Space One, 11 ½ x 11 ½ inches (left) and Negative Space Two, 12 x 15 inches, both are acrylic on handmade paper, 2014.
Portraits of Picasso’s women inspired Mickalene Thomas’ latest series at Chelsea’s Lehmann Maupin Gallery, including this rhinestone and acrylic collage. Exuberant eye-brows and lashes suggest exotic bird plumage while garish, fauve colors and many sharp angles hint at the sitter’s strong personality. (Through August 8th).
Mickalene Thomas, Carla, enamel, acrylic, oil paint, glitter, rhinestones, oil pastel, graphite and silk screen on wood panel, 96 x 72 inches, 2014.
Citibike stands abound in New York’s gallery areas, but are the bikes art? New York artist Dan Colen’s addition to Marlborough Gallery’s bike-themed group exhibition ‘Joyride’ could theoretically be taken out for a spin as a kind of performance or experiential art. In the background, Leo Fitzpatrick’s acrylic on canvas pieces offer a more cynical take on the pleasures of freewheeling about town, suggesting that Citibike users end their trips in the East River. (On the Lower East Side through August 3rd).
Foreground: Dan Colen, Title, x citibikes, 2014. Background: Leo Fitzpatrick, bikes in bag, bag in river, acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 2 pieces, each 22 x 14 inches, 2014.
Before her recent show at New York’s Wellin Museum of Art, artist Dannielle Tegeder observed the museum’s physical structure, translating it into bold, diagrammatic wall installations. Here, at Chelsea’s Lombard Fried Gallery, Tegeder’s mural is a subtle addition to the gallery’s all-white back courtyard, appearing to extend its space beyond the wall into a fictional geometric world. (Through July 31st).
Dannielle Tegeder, Ghost Evolutionary Drawing System with Artificial Life Structure, Classified Layered City, Constructivist Accidents, Invisible Machine Universe Plan, and Chemical Code Schema Map, acrylic spray paint, 25 x 9 feet, 2014.
Colorful grid patterns on canvas as ad hoc busy as a community noticeboard dot the walls of Franklin Evans’ eye-catching show at Chelsea’s Ameringer McEnery Yohe. But it’s the total overall effect of floors, ceilings and walls covered in vibrant colors, art historical references and wall texts that impresses in this ambitious exhibition. (Through August 1st).
Franklin Evans, installation view of ‘paintingassupermodel’ at Ameringer McEnery Yohe, Chelsea, June 2014.
Though it looks like the immortalization of a moment of passion, Jude Tallichet’s ‘Abandoned Clothes’ chronicles in cast bronze items of clothing dropped on the floor. From a jacket to pants with underwear and socks still inside, the installation’s solidly present objects underscore the mystery of what happened to the absent wearers. (At Robert Miller Gallery through August 1st).
Jude Tallichet, Untitled (Flung Suit Jacket), cast bronze (polished), 2012.
California-based ceramic artist Cheryl Ann Thomas uses the age-old technique of building a vessel from coils of clay, but Thomas’ coils are so fragile, her pots collapse in the kiln. The results are textile-like forms that seem to embody motion. (At Danese Corey through August 1st).
Cheryl Ann Thomas, Relics 300-303, porcelain, 21 x 24 x 27 inches, 2012.
New York photographer Brea Souders’ light-infused abstract and figurative images suggest damaged film and fleeting moments; here, a fog of peachy light drifts over a surprisingly life-like cast face, signaling both memories of someone gone and a memorial. (At Bruce Silverstein Gallery in Chelsea through August 1st).
Brea Souders, Rosie, archival inkjet print, 25 x 20 inches, 2012.
Massachusetts-based artist Sally Curcio builds magical worlds under protective bubbles using everyday materials from bathmats to barrettes. This enticing city of pretty towers and green parks – appropriately titled ‘Happy Place’ stands out in J. Cacciola Gallery’s summer group show. (In Chelsea through July 26th).
Sally Curcio, Happy Place, pins, beads, flocking, hairbrush, contact lens packaging, false eyelashes, fruit netting, barrettes, paperclips, curlers, ear buds, fabric, shuttlecock, lite brite pegs, tub mat, rubber grape, bubbles wand, perfume funnel, button, milk carton tabs, soup carton tab, olive oil spout, zip tie, plastic mesh, extruded polystyrene, acrylic paint, acrylic bubble, wood base, 12 x 12 x 6 inches, 2014.
It’s hard to tell if this enchanted scene is aided or threatened by the dark-faced spirit behind a frolicking young woman and two sprites. Titled ‘The 1%,’ this painting by New Yorker Inka Essenhigh suggests that their bliss is tenuous. (At Sargent’s Daughters through July 26th).
Inka Essenhigh, The 1 %, oil on canvas, 30 x 12 inches 2014.
Titled ‘Beach,’ these copper leaf covered Doritos by Brooklyn-based artist Brock Enright, along with ‘Night,’ ‘Secret 3,’ and ‘Winter’ up the wall, look like moths or jewelry – fragile emanations of junk food. (At Chelsea’s Mitchell-Innes & Nash through July 25th).
Brock Enright, Beach, Doritos, resin and copper leaf, 2 ¼ x 4 ¾ x 1 inch, 2014.
This ready-made painting/sculpture composed of truck doors hung on the wall by New York artist Gedi Sibony looks like it’s been around the block. Heavy use and the suggestion of censorship in the grey-painted areas give these otherwise mundane doors interest. (At Chelsea’s Barbara Gladstone Gallery through August 1st).
Gedi Sibony, The Revolving Rey, trailer, 109 x 94 ½ inches, 2014.
Known for painting distracted young women, Jocelyn Hobbie’s contribution to Fredericks & Freiser’s summer group exhibition his typical, but this time she’s engulfed in a sea of distracting patterns (she’s even eating a design) making the model one with her environment. (In Chelsea through July 24th).
Jocelyn Hobbie, Untitled, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches, 2014.
