Allan McCollum & Andrea Zittel at Petzel Gallery

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In the latest iteration of a project started in the early 80s, Allan McCollum has invited Joshua Tree, California based artist Andrea Zittel to collaborate on a show of his ‘plaster surrogates,’ or plaster casts that stand in for paintings.  Here, Zittel sketches out a rough landscape of hills and desert colors in an avant-garde twist on landscape painting.   (At Pezel Gallery in Chelsea through Oct 5th).  

Allan McCollum, installation view of ‘Plaster Surrogates Colored and Organized by Andrea Zittel,’ at Petzel Gallery, Sept 2013.

Michael St. John at Andrea Rosen Gallery II

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Having moved from New York City to Massachusetts, Michael St John titles the paintings in his latest solo show at Andrea Rosen Gallery ‘Country Life.’  The resulting images, which employ collage and trompe l’oeil, are cheeky ruminations on what the differences between city and country life may be. (Through October 5th).  

Michael St.  John, ‘Country Life,’ acrylic, collage/assemblage, polymers, 2013.

Pieter Hugo at Yossi Milo Gallery

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Known for his sobering photographic visions of modern Africa (including his reknowned hyena keeping minstel series), South African photographer Pieter Hugo’s new photo series ‘Kin’ brings him closer to home as he depicts South African citizens whose lives have been marked by the legacy of Apartheid.  (At Chelsea’s Yossi Milo Gallery through Oct 19th).  

Pieter Hugo, Mimi Afrika, Wheatland Farm, Graaff Reinet, digital c-print, 2013.

Michael Raedecker at Andrea Rosen Gallery

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Dutch artist Michael Raedecker’s latest solo show summons opulence and decay in equal measure with his signature, embroidered paintings depicting chandeliers, suburban homes and palm trees.  All are painted in silver and blue colors that walk the line between elegant and dreary.  (At Chelsea’s Andrea Rosen Gallery through Oct 5th).  

Michael Raedecker, Blink, acrylic and thread on canvas, 2012.

Ruby Sky Stiler at Nichelle Beauchene Gallery

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Brooklyn-based artist Ruby Sky Stiler takes the seated nude to a new level with her ten-foot tall female figure.  Carved from foam, its stepped form nevertheless suggests weighty ancient architecture embellished with images of power-wielding women. (At Nichelle Beauchene on the Lower East Side through Oct 6th)  

Ruby Sky Stiler, Seated Woman, foam, acrylic resin, thermal adhesive, 2013.

Sol LeWitt at Paula Cooper Gallery

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When iconic Minimalist/Conceptualist artist Sol Lewitt moved to Italy in the 70s, his palette veered dramatically toward the colorful, evident here in what the New York Times has called ‘2,448 sq ft of visual sumptuousness.’  The huge installation is one of the approximately 1,200 wall drawings the artist conceived of in his lifetime, and is an arresting blast of color and form.  (at Chelsea’s Paula Cooper Gallery through October 12th.    

Sol LeWitt, installation view of ‘Wall Drawing #564:  Complex forms with color ink washes superimposed,’ (1988) Paula Cooper Gallery, Sept 2013.

Greg Haberny at Lyons Wier Gallery

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Considering the profuse detail of the 2-D collages, floor covering and pencil-studded ceiling of his installation at Chelsea’s Lyons Wier Gallery, it comes as no surprise that Greg Haberny was diagnosed with ADHD as a child.  The frustration of a childhood defined by medicines and misdiagnoses comes through loud and clear.  (Through October 5th).  

Greg Haberny, installation view of ‘Burn all Crayons’ at Lyons Wier Gallery, Sept 2013.

Charline von Heyl at Petzel Gallery

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Is it a serpent?  A leg in fishnet stockings?  A feathered neck?  None of the above?  New York based German artist Charline von Heyl’s latest paintings at Chelsea’s Petzel Gallery come loaded with associations for viewers willing to engage the myriad suggestions.  (Through October 5th)  

Charline von Heyl, Pancalist, acrylic on canvas, 2012.

Penelope Umbrico at LMAK Projects

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During a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, Penelope Umbrico photographed cameras from the museum’s collection and printed them, applying Photoshop’s ‘Old Style’ filter, and creating this rather forelorn selection of specimens which rest under a projection of a mountain (used as a subject by Ansel Adams) photographed using hundreds of filters available on dozens of smartphone apps.  (At LMAK Projects on the Lower East Side through Oct 20th).

Penelope Umbrico, 136 Mini Film Cameras in the Smithsonian Institution History of Photography Collection with Old Style Photoshop Filter, archival pigment prints on Hahnmuhle Photo Rag paper, 2013.

Catherine Ahearn in ‘Pizza Time!’ at Marlborough Gallery, LES

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Chelsea and 57th Street gallery Marlborough Gallery has now put an anchor down in the Lower East Side, launching a new space at 331 Broome with the lightheartedly delicious ‘Pizza Time,’ a show dedicated to the slice.  It includes this collage by Catherine Ahearn that marries painting and photo as serendipitously as olives and mushrooms.  (Through Oct 6th)  

Catherine Ahearn, Untitled (pizza 3), multi-media, 2011.

Leslie Hewitt at Sikkema, Jenkins & Co

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To some, Leslie Hewitt’s conceptual photography will be maddeningly vague, to others, enticingly elusive.  Propped against the wall as if it were an object or sculpture, it displays one book with its spine facing us – James Baldwin’s essays on race, ‘The Fire Next Time.’  This incendiary text rests next to a cooling lemon, an art historical symbol of mortality and moderation.  (At Sikkema Jenkins & Co in Chelsea, through Oct 5th).  

Leslie Hewitt, Untitled (Perception), Still Life Series, digital c-print in custom maple frame, 2013.

Adam Marnie at Derek Eller Gallery

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New York artist Adam Marnie presents a mediated flash-back with his solo show at Chelsea’s Derek Eller Gallery by removing the bottom two feet of drywall from the gallery’s walls, recalling the scene after Hurricane Sandy last October. Nearby interlocking cubes recall 60s minimalist ideas about art being a physical experience; but what happens to interpretation if the physical space of the gallery is altered by disaster?  (Through Oct 5th).  

Adam Marnie, Inward Object I, maple, wood putty spray paint, 2013.

Brian Adam Douglas at Andrew Edlin Gallery

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Brian Adam Douglas’ surreal, Neo Rauch- like images of anonymous characters intently engaged in their individual tasks are intriguing, but are even more amazing for being constructed entirely of paper.  Though his solo show at Chelsea’s Andrew Edlin Gallery was inspired by mankind’s ability to rebuild after natural disasters, here each character experiences a momentous occasion of his or her own.  (Through Oct 26th).  

Brian Adam Douglas, The Memory of You is Never Lost Upon Me, cut paper on birch panel with UVA varnish, 2011.

Phil Collins at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

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British artist Phil Collins set up a phone booth in a German homeless shelter and offered its guests a deal – in exchange for free local and international calls, they allowed the artist to record their conversations and commission songs from the transcripts.  At Tanya Bonkadar Gallery, visitors are invited to listen to the results in individual sound booths.  (In Chelsea through October 19th).  

Phil Collins, installation view of ‘my heart’s in my hand and my hand is pierced, and my hand’s in the bag, and the bag is shut, and my heart is caught,’ sound installation, 2013.

Matthew Day Jackson at Hauser & Wirth Gallery

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Inspired by BODIES:  The Exhibition, Brooklyn artist Matthew Day Jackson created his own five-vitrine exploration of the human anatomy at Hauser & Wirth Gallery’s 18th Street space.  In the context of the larger show, which includes dramatic landscapes and references to astronauts and Hiroshima, the artist seems to wonder how one frail form could wield great power.  (Through Oct 19th)  

Matthew Day Jackson, installation view of the sculptures: Skeleton, Veins, Nerves, Muscles, Bartholomew, all 2013, Sept 2013.

Linn Meyers at Gering Lopez Gallery

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While much of the art world slumbered through August, some galleries remained open, including 57th St area Gering Lopez Gallery, which features this subtly energetic 10 x 40 foot wall painting in which swirling lines resemble but belie the intimacy of fingerprints.  (Through Sept 7th)  

Linn Meyers, This Familiar Place, ink and acrylic paint on wall, 2013.

Andra Ursuta in ‘Busted’ on The High Line

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Andra Ursuta’s giant marble nose begs the question of what Ozymandias-like character would deserve such a large portrait sculpture and what went wrong, leaving only the nose behind.  It’s a highlight of the High Line’s group exhibition ‘Busted,’ which reimagines public portrait sculpture. (Through April 2014).  

Andra Ursuta, Nose Job, white marble, wheelbarrow, variable dimensions, 2013.

Frank Benson in ‘Busted’ on The High Line

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Swept-back hair and blocky shades give this graceful dancer a back-to-the-future vibe that’s complicated by the possibility that she’s a street mime, a mannequin or neither.  (Featured in the group exhibitions ‘Busted’ on Chelsea’s High Line through April 2014.)  

Frank Benson, Human Statue (Jessie), bronze, acrylic polyurethane, 2011.

Olaf Breuning in ‘Lightness of Being’ at City Hall Park

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The title of Swiss New Yorker Olaf Breuning’s ‘The Humans’ in City Hall Park showcases human character types in a series of six figures, from a fulsome female to a kingly clown, while also inviting real live humans to pose or clown for the camera in what’s turned out to be a major magnet for picture takers.   (Through December 13th).  

Olaf Breuning, ‘The Humans,’ marble, bronze, 2007.

Sarah Lucas in ‘Lightness of Being’ at City Hall Park

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Anyone ready to harvest squash from their garden in the coming weeks will appreciate British artist Sarah Lucas’ mother of all zucchini at City Hall Park, one of two gigantic cast concrete sculptures titled ‘Florian’ and ‘Kevin’ that summarize excess in vegetable form.  (Through December 13th).  

Sarah Lucas, Florian and Kevin, cast concrete, 2013.

Alicja Kwade in ‘Lightness of Being,’ at City Hall Park

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New Yorkers used to seeing abandoned and decrepit bikes are likely to get a kick out of Polish artist Alicja Kwade’s twisted racer in City Hall Park.  Like her curving wooden door that we saw on Lower East Side tours last Feb/March, she took the original apart, reformed it and pieced it back together to create an object of whimsy and wonder.  (Through December 13th).  

Alicja Kwade, Journey without Arrival (Raleigh), stainless steel, aluminum, rubber, plastic components, 2012/13.

Gary Webb in ‘Lightness of Being,’ at City Hall Park

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British sculptor Gary Webb mixes high and low references with his 22’ high aluminum sculpture ‘Buzzing It Down’ at City Hall Park, which nods equally to elegant modernism a la Brancusi’s Endless Column and plastic preschool linking toys.   (Through December 13th).  

Gary Webb, ‘Buzzing it Down,’ cast aluminum, paint, 2012.

Ugo Rondinone in ‘Lightness of Being,’ at City Hall Park

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In a more intimately-scaled followup to Swiss-American artist Ugo Rondinone’s powerful installation of stone characters at Paula Cooper Gallery this spring, the artist revives his recurring clown figure as a performer at City Hall Park.   Even asleep, this character is imposing and mysterious with his colorful nylon costume, collar of feathers and thick shawl.  (Through December 13th).   

Ugo Rondinone, dog days are over, performance, 1996/2013.

Daniel Buren in ‘Lightness of Being’ at City Hall Park

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It’s going to be hard to appreciate major late 20th century minimalist Daniel Buren’s characteristic indoor painted installations after seeing his gorgeous pavilion in City Hall Park, which allows visitors to literally walk into fields of color and interact with spaces projected by the sun onto the ground and pavilion floor.  (Through December 13th).  

Daniel Buren, Suncatcher, powder-coated steel, glass, vinyl, 2013.

Evan Holloway in ‘Lightness of Being,’ at City Hall Park

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LA sculptor Evan Holloway uses one of art history’s most iconic artworks, a 4.5 inch high fertility goddess from approximately 22-24,000 BC, as decorative inspiration for a huge, slender bronze ring in City Hall Park.  The shifts between a tiny but fulsome female on a huge but slim ring are provocative and amusing; you’ll also get a rare glimpse of the sculpture’s back view. (Through December 13th).   

Evan Holloway, ‘Willendorf Wheel,’ bronze, 2013.

James Angus in ‘Lightness of Being’ at City Hall Park

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One of the city’s best exhibitions of the moment isn’t in a gallery…the Public Art Fund’s exhibition ‘Lightness of Being’ at City Hall Park brings together an outstanding array of sculpture that surprises with its materials, sizes or concepts.  This week, we’ll check it out, starting with this distorted tractor by Australian-American artist James Angus, which not only looks odd in its über urban environment, but is given another twist by digital distortions in the manufacturing process.  (Through December 13th).   

James Angus, ‘John Deere Model D,’ painted steel, painted cast iron, 2013.

Orly Genger, ‘Red, Yellow and Blue,’ at Madison Square Park

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Brooklyn-based artist Orly Genger is known for sculpture and installations involving knitting, but she outdoes herself in Madison Square Park with an installation made by knotting 1.4 million feet of nautical rope collected on the East coast and arranged in undulating waves around the park’s trees.  (Though Sept 8th).  

Orly Genger, ‘Red, Yellow and Blue,’ installation view at Madison Square Park, nautical rope & paint, July 2013.

Allyson Vieira at Metro Tech Center by Public Art Fund

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The roughly cut blocks of Allyson Vieira’s sculptures resemble the caryatids of Greek architecture but in an updated, futuristic way.  We enjoyed versions made with drywall at Laurel Gitlen Gallery on last March’s Lower East Side tour, but it’s perfect to see them outdoors in proximity to a Greek-style façade at Brooklyn’s Metro Tech Center.  (Through Sept 16th).     

Allyson Vieira, ‘Weight Bearing V, Weight Bearing VI, Weight Bearing VII,’ 2012.

Jeff Koons’ ‘Balloon Flower,’ at 7 WTC, Manhattan

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As New York galleries take a break in the final weeks of summer, New York Art Tours heads to the city’s parks and public places to enjoy our lively public art scene.  Here’s a sculpture that several of you mentioned when we toured Jeff Koons’ show of giant balloon dog sculptures this spring.  Koons’ ‘Balloon Flower’ outside of 7 WTC in downtown Manhattan is a hit with kids on this sunny summer day.  

Jeff Koons, Balloon Flower, mirror polish stainless steel with transparent color, installation view in park of 7 WTC, July 2013.

Jennifer Cohen in ‘Desire’ at Yancey Richardson Gallery

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Jennifer Cohen’s ‘White Line’ is as poised as a ballerina en pointe, but its meaning is given an extra charge by being included in Yancey Richardson Gallery’s  summer group show titled, ‘Desire,’ which showcases work by female artists adopting a female gaze. (In Chelsea through August 23rd).  

Jennifer Cohen, White Line, bronze, copper tubing, plaster and paper pulp, 2013.

Jackie Gendel in ‘Bathers’ at Morgan Lehman Gallery

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Jackie Gendel’s bathers cast hard stares or fall into melancholy sleep, their prone bodies acting as stand-ins for dunes under a darkening sky.  (At Chelsea’s Morgan Lehman Gallery through Aug 23rd).  

Jackie Gendel, At the Beach, water dispersed pigment and vinyl on canvas, 2013.

Imran Qureshi at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The sobriety and simplicity of Imran Qureshi’s Roof Garden installation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a sharp contrast to previous Met roof projects (like the Starn brothers’ climbable bamboo labyrinth in 2010).  Partly in response to deadly bombings in Lahore, Qureshi paints the roof’s floor and walls with blood-red paint splatters and beautifully rendered floral motifs.  (At the Met through Nov 3rd.)  

Imran Qureshi, installation view of ‘The Roof Garden Commission:  Imran Qureshi,’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, July 2013.

Elizabeth Murray in ‘Reinventing Abstraction’ at Cheim and Read Gallery

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A dark geometric shape appears to do battle with two biomorphic entities in Elizabeth Murray’s 1982 canvas at Chelsea’s Cheim & Read Gallery.  Part of an exhibition showcasing abstract painting in the 80s, its attention-grabbing drama and size (over ten feet tall) excite the imagination.  (Through Aug 30th).  

Elizabeth Murray, Sentimental Education, oil on canvas, 127 x 96 inches, 1982.

Valerie Hegarty at The Brooklyn Museum

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Known for crafting historical art and furnishings as if they’d been partly destroyed, Brooklyn artist Valerie Hegarty has astoundingly transformed several rooms in the Brooklyn Museum’s Cane Acres Plantation Dining Room to look as if disaster has struck, turning a gentile space into a riot of gunshot holes, destroyed food and flapping crows.  (In the 4th floor Period Rooms at the Brooklyn Museum through Dec 1st).  

Valerie Hegarty, installation view of ‘Valerie Hegarty:  Alternative Histories’ at the Brooklyn Museum, July 2013.

Bruce High Quality Foundation at The Brooklyn Museum

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Bruce High Quality Foundation (an anonymous collective of Brooklyn artists) show off their light-hearted but ambitious practice at the Brooklyn Museum, including these vitrines housing crudely recreated selections from the Met’s Greek and Roman galleries.  The installation recalls the age-old student practice of perfecting one’s art by copying in museums though these renditions of the Met’s ancient masterpieces are decidedly folksy and imperfect.  (Through Sept 22nd).

‘The Greek and Roman Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,’ Play dough, cardboard, wood, acrylic, polystyrene foam, 2013.

Leslie Wayne in ‘Compilation’ at Jack Shainman Gallery

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Working to music (including like Patti Griffin’s ‘One Big Love,’ after which the series was titled) and restricting her painting to shaped surfaces like this draped rag, New York artist Leslie Wayne explains that she was seeking to capture the ‘eureka moment,’ when inspiration takes over and a piece ‘works.’  (At Chelsea’s Jack Shainman Gallery through Aug 17th).  

Leslie Wayne, One Big Love #63 (Paint/Rag #5), oil on panel, 2011.

Anne Chu at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

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Anne Chu lifts her chubby cherub straight out of 18th century Rococo painting, then gives it a makeover.  Decorative splashes of paint and a flag bearing an indistinct face question this putti’s celestial purpose.  (At Chelsea’s Lehmann Maupin Gallery through Aug 16th).  

Anne Chu, Putti with Flag, ceramic, stone, fabric, metal, 2001.

David Jelinek at Andrew Edlin Gallery

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For many artists, being offered an exhibition in a Chelsea gallery would feel like winning the lottery.  For his first show at Andrew Edlin’s Chelsea gallery, New York artist David Jelinek takes the daring step of filling the space not with his own creations but with a symbol of hope aroused and then dashed – a scattering of discarded losing lottery tickets strewn on the gallery floor. (Through Aug 17th).  

David Jelinek, installation view of ‘Money Down,’ at Andrew Edlin Gallery, July 2013.

Charlotte Posenenske in ‘Conspicuous Unusable’ at Miguel Abreu Gallery

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Charlotte Posenenske permanently gave up art making for sociology in 1968, just a year after creating the plans for this modular sheet metal sculpture that could be configured in a variety of ways.  Here, the piece resembles a ventilation shaft that questions the necessity of use value in art while fetishising industrial design.  (At Miguel Abreu Gallery on the Lower East Side through Aug 17th).  

Charlotte Posenenske, Series D Vierkantrohre (Square Tubes), sheet steel, dimensions and configuration variable, 1967/2009.

Aric Obrosey in ‘Reticulate’ at McKenzie Fine Art

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If it isn’t obvious that New York artist Aric Obrosey’s paper artwork ‘Hand Production Lines’ involves a lot of work, hand cut motifs repeated to form lace-like chains come together to depict a giant work glove.  Created for the Museum of Art and Design’s ’09-’10 exhibition featuring cut paper artworks, the piece involves a mind boggling amount of detail and took nine months to complete.  (At McKenzie Fine Art on the Lower East Side through Aug 17th).  

Aric Obrosey, Hand Production Lines, cut paper, 41 ½ x 59 ½ inches, 2009.  Photo courtesy of McKenzie Fine Art.

Hank Willis Thomas at Jack Shainman Gallery

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Viewers have to look at just the right angle down a long, thick piece of Plexiglas to spy Hank Willis Thomas’ minstrel, a photo of a man painted half black and half white, then literally doubled by the material.  Like similar characters photographed by the artist, a seemingly clear cover obstructs a clear view, a metaphor for how perceptions of race can obscure identity.  (At Jack Shainman Gallery’s 24th Street space through Aug 17th).  

Hank Willis Thomas, ‘Invisible Man,’ Plexi block and a digital c-print on aluminum, 2013.

Rosie Lee Tompkins in ‘Roving Signs’ at Matthew Marks Gallery

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Further to yesterday’s post, another standout at Matthew Marks Gallery is this quilt by legendary (and pseudonymous) quilter Rosie Lee Tompkins.  Titled ‘Three Sixes,’ it follows Tompkins’ practice of making her quilts as a prayer for a loved one; in this case commemorating three relatives’ birthdays that involve the number six. (At Matthew Marks Gallery’s 522 W. 22nd St space through Aug 16th).  

Rosie Lee Tompkins, Three Sixes, polyester double-knit, polyester knit, broadcloth, ottoman, poplin, wool jersey with muslin backing, 1987.

Rachel Harrison in ‘Roving Signs’ at Matthew Marks Gallery

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American folk tradition inspired Matthew Marks Gallery’s summer group show ‘Roving Signs,’ which includes this editioned sculpture by Rachel Harrison that conjures apple picking over Apple Macs and can-do crafting over mass consumption.  (At Matthew Marks Gallery’s 522 W. 22nd St space through Aug 16th).  

Rachel Harrison, Apple Multiple, artificial fruit and sewing pins, 2008.

Simon Fujiwara at Andrea Rosen Gallery

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Berlin-based artist Simon Fujiwara created this gender-reversing picture as part of a meandering investigation into a now-lost photo of his globe trotting, show-girl mother in the arms of a stranger on a beach in Beirut.  With very little information to go on, Fujiwara goes on, casting actors to reconstruct the old photo while musing on family history.  (At Chelsea’s Andrea Rosen Gallery through Aug 9th).  

Detail from Simon Fujiwara’s exhibition ‘Studio Pieta (King Kong Komplex),’ at Andrea Rosen Gallery, July 2013.

William Daniels at Luhring Augustine Gallery

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In his latest solo show at Chelsea’s Luhring Augustine Gallery, British artist William Daniels continues to walk the line between abstraction and representation in new paintings for which he constructed, photographed, then painted arches made of aluminum foil.  (Through Aug 16th).  

William Daniels, Untitled, 42 3/8 x 41 ¾ inches, oil on board, 2013.

Carlos Vega in ‘Compilation’ at Jack Shainman Gallery

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On two cold, grey sheets of lead, Spanish-born artist Carlos Vega depicts a tree bearing lively fruit represented by used postage stamps – icons drawn from a diverse array of cultures and times.  (At Jack Shainman’s 20th St location through Aug 17th).  

Carlos Vega, detail of ‘Ivory Tower,’ stamps and oil paint on lead, 2012.

Daniel Heidkamp in ‘Bathers’ at Morgan Lehman Gallery

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Is this vacationer’s vacant stare an expression of total relaxation or haunting anxiety?  Sketchy hands and underdeveloped legs put the focus on this man’s shadowy head and torso in ‘Another Side of Bad Blake,’ a drama wrapped in a portrait by Brooklyn painter Daniel Heidkamp.  (At Chelsea’s Morgan Lehman Gallery through Aug 23rd.)  

Daniel Heidkamp, ‘Another Side of Bad Blake,’ oil on canvas, 2012.

Brian Griffith in ‘Folk Devil’ at David Zwirner Gallery

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British artist Brian Griffith’s teddy bear tent is hands down one of the most fun sculptures on view in Chelsea right now.  You can’t go inside the tent and weenie roasts aren’t allowed, but the piece does suggest a very imaginative band of travelers.  (At David Zwirner Gallery‘s 525 W. 19th Street location through Aug 9th).  

Brian Griffiths, The Body and Ground (Or Your Brittle Smile), canvas, scenic acrylic paint, rope, webbing, fiberglass pole, metal poles, vintage travel souvenir patches, net fabric, tarpaulin, duct tape, tread, string, sand, and fixings, 2010.

Virginia Overton, High Line Art Commission at 20th Street Edison ParkFast

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Brooklyn-based artist Virginia Overton combines the city and country in her untitled project next to Chelsea’s High Line park by parking a pickup truck with a bricked in bed and a scene of flying ducks in the back window on the top of an Edison ParkFast stack.  (Next to the High Line at West 20th Street through Aug 8).  

Virginia Overton, Untitled, pickup truck, bricks, 2012.

Ricky Swallow in ‘Mind is Outer Space,’ at Casey Kaplan Gallery

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Used archery targets, repaired flea market antiques, still life paintings and more inform LA-based artist Ricky Swallow’s practice of putting everyday objects through a series of transformations.  Here, bronze vessels cast from cardboard and applied with what looks like a ceramic glaze conjure lily pads and Aladdin’s lamp.  (At Chelsea’s Casey Kaplan Gallery through Aug 2nd).  

Ricky Swallow, Staggered Vessel with Rings, patinated bronze, 2013.

Piero Golia in ‘Mixed Media Message’ at Barbara Gladstone Gallery

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I saw a dog enthusiastically enjoying this sculpture at Barbara Gladstone Gallery with its owner…that is, until it was scared away when the animatronic creature raised its head in response to a periodic drip coming from an easy-to-miss fake ventilation shaft.  This piece by LA-based artist Piero Golia suggests that even a faux dog’s powers of perception are to be reckoned with.  (At Chelsea’s Barbara Gladstone Gallery, 24th St space, through Aug 2nd).  

Piero Golia, The Dog and the Drip, animatronic dog, solenoids and sync device, 2013.

Simryn Gill in ‘CHICK LIT: Revised Summer Reading’ at Tracy Williams, Ltd.

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Australia-based artist Simryn Gill found a nine-volume set of books by Mahatma Gandhi in a library sale and transformed them into spheres.  But like a book, the sculptures are intended to be held, prompting their audience to consider their subject in a new way. (At Tracy Williams, Ltd. through Aug 9th).  

Simryn Gill, 9 Volumes from The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, paper, glue, 2008.

Anoka Faruqee and Michael DeLucia in ‘On the Grid’ at Lu Magnus Gallery

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The artists in Lu Magnus Gallery’s summer group show ‘On the Grid’ mediate between technology and the handmade:  Anoka Faruqee’s (background) pattern paintings look computer generated but are determined by intuitive hand painting, while Michael DeLucia’s (foreground) creates his patterned, wood sculptures on a screen, then brings them into reality.  (On the Lower East Side through Aug 2nd).  

Foreground: Michael Delucia, Double beam, plywood and construction enamel, 2013. background: Anoka Faruqee, Dusk, acrylic on linen, 2010.

Mike Nelson in ‘Folk Devil’ at David Zwirner Gallery

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Known for immersive environments including four conjoined Airstream trailers in his last solo show at 303 Gallery, British artist Mike Nelson has explained that his work is ‘ritualistic and votive.’  This minimalist, totemic character suggests the ease with which he transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.  (At David Zwirner Gallery’s 525 W. 19th Street location through Aug 9th).  

Mike Nelson, Amnezi Skalk Kask, wood, plastic helmet and bones, 2012.

Sam Falls in ‘Noa Noa’ at Metro Pictures Gallery

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Sam Falls has a different take on beauty and the urban environment with his two huge (15 feet long) hangings created by putting abandoned tires on colored canvases and leaving them outside to age for several months. (At Chelsea’s Metro Pictures through Aug 2nd).  

Sam Falls, Untitled (Large Blue, Glassel Park Los Angeles, CA), & Untitled (Large Orange, Glassell Park, Los Angeles, CA), both pre-dyed canvas and metal grommets, 2013.

Francis Cape at Murray Guy Gallery

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Can a room full of benches inspire community-minded thinking? Francis Cape’s hand-crafted replicas of furniture from Shaker and other 19th century separatist communities, presented en masse at Chelsea’s Murray Guy Gallery, are objects whose value is rooted in their usefulness to many people – opposite of art as luxury commodity.  (Through Aug 9th).  

Francis Cape, installation view of Utopian Benches at Murray Guy Gallery, July 2013.

Alice Mackler at Kerry Schuss Gallery

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At eighty-two years old, Alice Mackler is enjoying a career revival with this show at the Lower East Side gallery Kerry Schuss, inspiring nods to Matisse’s odalisques (Time Out) and William Steig cartoons (Gallerist NY).  (Through July 26th).

Alice Mackler, Untitled, glazed earthenware, 2013.

Lucas Samaras in ‘Specific Objects’ at Susan Inglett Gallery

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Lucas Samaras’ pin-encrusted cube is a standout in Susan Inglett Gallery’s ‘Specific Objects’ show, an exhibition inspired by a pivotal 1965 Donald Judd essay that came to define minimalism.  The piece’s shape is its subject matter, but the pins introduce an element of danger that give it a charge.  (In Chelsea through July 26th).  

Lucas Samaras, Untitled, pins on wood, 1964.

Matt Hoyt in ‘Mind is Outer Space’ at Casey Kaplan Gallery

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New York artist Matt Hoyt was a star of the last Whitney Biennial with his tiny, meticulously crafted sculptures that resemble archeological finds or rare natural specimens but which remain a pleasing puzzle.  This assortment (‘group 93’) appears in Casey Kaplan Gallery’s summer group show ‘Mind is Outer Space.’ (In Chelsea through Aug 2nd).  

Matt Hoyt, Untitled (Group 93), two wooden shelves with polyurethane supports containing 11 component objects comprised of all or some of the following:  various putties, plastic, metal, clay, krazy glue, pastel, oil, tempera, acrylic, and spray paint, 2010-2013.

Renzo Piano Building Workshop at Gagosian Gallery

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An exhibition of architect Renzo Piano’s work, including models, photos, diagrams and reference books on Piano’s buildings takes visitors to Chelsea’s Gagosian Gallery on an around the world tour of marvelous homes, museums and in this picture, the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center, built on a peninsula in New Caldonia. (through Aug 2nd).

Installation view of Jean-Marie Tjibaou table in ‘Renzo Piano Building Workshop’ at Gagosian Gallery, July 2013.

Show Me the JPEG at Winkleman Gallery

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Can you really shop for art online?  Artnet.com, the VIP art fair and other web-based art businesses question of how necessary it is to see art in person before buying.  In a daring tongue-in-cheek gesture, Winkleman Gallery devotes its summer group show to a huge exhibition in every media by its gallery artists…with all work displayed online on a bank of monitors lining the gallery walls.  (In Chelsea through August 2nd).  

Installation view of ‘Show Me the JPEG’ at Winkleman Gallery, June 2013.

Willie Cole’s Shoonufu Female Figure at Alexander & Bonin Gallery

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It would be amazing enough if this sculpture by Willie Cole was made of shoes.  It’s rendered more permanent and pushes the materials a step further by being crafted of bronze.  (At Chelsea’s Alexander and Bonin Gallery through July).

Willie Cole, Shoonufu Female Figure, bronze, 2013.

Daniel Gordon in ‘Jew York,’ at Untitled Gallery

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Brooklyn-based Daniel Gordon presents one of his signature photo collages at Untitled Gallery on the Lower East Side, a selection of apples and pears that update Cezanne’s twisted perspectives on fruit by adding multiple digital perspectives against contemporary but dated background textiles.  (Through July 26th).

Daniel Gordon, Pink Ladies and Pears, chromogenic print, 2012.

Samara Golden in ‘Truck Baby,’ at Rachel Uffner Gallery

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Disembodied hands snap photos at all angles from long tripods in ‘Truck Baby’ at Rachel Uffner Gallery on the Lower East Side.  LA-based Samara Golden, known for disorderly installations of fantastical worlds, presents a more straightforward tableau here, in which anonymous hands record everything.  (Through July 20th).  

Samara Golden, installation view of ‘A Convocation of,’ foam, wood, acrylic, 2012 in ‘Truck Baby’ at Rachel Uffner Gallery.

‘No Name’ at On Stellar Rays

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Bayard’s mohair sculpture, hanging from the ceiling of the Lower East Side’s ‘On Stellar Rays,’ may look uncomfortably warm for this weather but it’s the most tactile object in a show that includes a flag painted in bacon fat and pigment by Michael Mahalchick, a meticulously constructed faux pile of twigs by Nathaniel Robinson and a sculpture painstakingly crafted by Susan Collis to look like an old discarded plank.  (Through July 26th)  

Installation view of ‘No Name’ at On Stellar Rays, June 2013.

Alex Israel in ‘Noa, Noa,’ at Metro Pictures

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At seven feet tall, Alex Israel’s shades are impressive.  One coldly reflective lens propped against the wall in Metro Pictures’ summer group show ‘Noa, Noa’ seems designed less as sun protection than as proof of its wearer’s extreme fashionability.  (In Chelsea through August 2nd).   

Alex Israel, Lens, UV protective plastic, 2012-13.

Matthias Merkel Hess at Salon 94 Freemans

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Titled ‘Hereafter,’ LA-based artist Matthias Merkel Hess’s first New York solo show features a roomful of beautiful, handmade, ceramic objects that replicate everyday items…ones you might choose to be entombed with if you were buried in the ancient Egyptian manner.  (At Salon 94 Freemans on the Lower East Side through August 9th).  

Matthias Merkel Hess, installation view of ‘Hereafter’ at Salon 94, June 2013.

Anne-Lise Coste at Eleven Rivington

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Taking Picasso’s 1937 anti-war masterpiece Guernica as inspiration, New York based French artist Anne-Lise Coste sets out in her recent freehand spray-paint paintings to question how to make an anti-war painting today.  (At Eleven Rivington through August 9th).

Doris Salcedo at Alexander and Bonin Gallery

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Bogota-based artist Doris Salcedo continues to carefully craft sculpture that speaks to violence and oppression with what ‘A Flor de Piel,’ a blanket of treated, waxed and sewn rose petals which she refers to as this shroud or skin.  (At Alexander and Bonin Gallery in Chelsea through July 26th).

Doris Salcedo, A Flor de Piel, rose petals and thread, 2013.

‘The Boxer’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Further to yesterday’s post, this late 4th – 2nd century BC Greek bronze is another reason to visit the Met sooner rather than later.   On view in the Greek and Roman galleries through Sunday, this remarkably detailed depiction of a boxer fresh from a fight even includes copper inlay to convey cuts to the face and ear as well as an altered alloy under one eye to suggest bruising.  

Boxer at Rest, Greek, Hellenistic period, late 4th – 2nd century B.C., bronze inlaid with copper.  Lent by Republic of Italy, 2013.

Velazquez’s Duke of Modena at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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If you’ve been thinking of visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, do it this weekend, before this major 17th century Velazquez portrait on loan from the earthquake damaged Galleria Estense, Modena returns home.  Exuding ‘arrogance and sensuality’ (according to the Met), the painting demonstrates Velazquez’s deft realism and stunning economy of means. (On view through July 14th).

Diego Velazquez, Portrait of Duke Francesco I d’Este, oil on canvas, 1638.

Simon Denny at Petzel Gallery

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One of Chelsea’s more unusual looking shows of the moment involves innovative display of old information.  Berlin-based artist Simon Denny’s latest solo show at Petzel Gallery takes the 2012 version of the annual DLD tech conference as its subject matter, displaying posters that summarize event highlights (last year’s news) in analogue (obsolete?) style.  

Simon Denny, installation view of ‘All you need is data:  the DLD Conference REDUX rerun,’ at Petzel Gallery, June, 2013.

Philadelphia Wireman at Invisible Exports

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An art student discovered a cache of tiny sculptures left on the sidewalk for the trash truck; thirty years later, they’re renowned as the work of the anonymous outsider artist known as the Philadelphia Wireman.  Invisible Exports enlivens a selection of them by showing them alongside a huge Vik Muniz photo from his Pictures of Junk series.  (On the Lower East Side through July 13).

Alexandre da Cunha at Simon Preston Gallery

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London-based Brazilian artist Alexandre da Cunha’s cement-mixer turned art-object brings to mind ancient bells or a new archaeological find.  Supported by a concrete square on a plinth on the concrete gallery floor, it points to the labor involved in art-making and exhibiting.  (At the Lower East Side’s Simon Preston Gallery through August 4th).  

Alexandre da Cunha, Full Catastrophe (drum XIV), cement mixer drum, concrete, wooden plinth, 2013.

Frank Nitsche at Leo Koenig Gallery

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Berlin-based artist Frank Nitsche’s recent pared-down, monochrome abstractions reduce the urban world to minimal forms, a stark contrast to a column containing drink cans and plastered in stickers collected during his travels. (At Chelsea’s Leo Koenig Gallery through July 20th)  

Frank Nitsche, KAY-25, oil on canvas, 2013 & GNL, mixed media installation, 2013 (column seen in detail).

Francis Upritchard at Anton Kern Gallery

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Francis Upritchard’s medieval-looking characters ride, run, lunge and more as they engage in slightly ludicrous one-sided combat.  Their expressions read as aloof, nauseous or perhaps both, which seems fitting for such convincingly-executed weedy warriors. (At Chelsea’s Anton Kern Gallery through August 9th)  

Francis Upritchard, installation view at Anton Kern Gallery featuring ‘Rider,’ modeling material, wire, fabric, leather and shell buttons, 2012.

Dario Escobar at Josee Bienvenu Gallery

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Guatamala City-based artist Dario Escobar’s sculpture ‘Obverse & Reverse (Cloud 11)’ may look like a scientific model, but this mobile of inside-out soccer balls offers a new take on the sport as ‘the beautiful game.’   (At Josee Bienvenu Gallery through July 18th).

Dario Escobar, Obverse & Reverse (Cloud 11), latex, leather, string and steel, 2013.

Martin & Erik Demaine at Guided by Invoices

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Martin and Erik Demaine, a father and son sculpture-making duo both teaching at MIT, printed Graham Greene’s 1954 short story ‘The Destructors’ on paper, then cut, scored and combined separate sheets to create these dynamic forms.  (At Chelsea’s Guided by Invoices through July 13th).

Erik and Martin Demaine, 0363, Language Series, Destructors III, elephant hide paper, 2013.

Walter Marchetti in ‘ambient’ at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

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This vegetable-strewn Steinway grand piano was the standout in Tanya Bonakdar Gallery’s otherwise spare summer group show, ‘ambient.’  It’s abundance is a foil to the hauntingly minimal musical piece ‘Natura Morta’ by Italian avant-garde composer and artist Walter Marchetti which experimental musician Alex Waterman played in the show’s first week.  (In Chelsea through July 26th).  

Walter Marchetti, Natura Morta, Steinway and Sons concert grand piano, selection of produce, 10-page handwritten manuscript of Walter Marchetti’s ‘Natura Morta,’ 1988.

Jon Kessler in ‘Jew York’ at Zach Feuer Gallery

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Diversity is the message in Zach Feuer Gallery’s ‘Jew York’ summer group show featuring artists of Jewish descent; one of the standout pieces is kinetic sculptor Jon Kessler’s creepy ‘Magnum Opus,’ a noisy box with a rotating iPad set to show distorted portraits of onlookers.  Powered by a mechanical kid turning a crank, this mish mash of high-tech/low-tech and fakery repulses and amuses.  (In Chelsea through July 26th).  

Jon Kessler, Magnum Opus, mixed media, 2012.

Jane & Louise Wilson at 303 Gallery

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British sisters Jane and Louise Wilson planted yardsticks in scenes from an H-bomb testing facility in the UK (at back) and a building at Chernobyl then photographed them, seemingly taking the measure of atomic energy as a destructive force.  In the foreground, a yardstick sculpture references a 1924 Rodchenko sculpture while suggesting that precision hasn’t helped this listing structure.  (At Chelsea’s 303 Gallery through August 2nd).  

Jane and Louise Wilson, installation view at 303 Gallery including ‘Altogether,’ Madeira wood, 2010.

Shi Zhiying at James Cohan Gallery

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Chinese artist Shi Zhiying’s oil paintings of vessels and stone carvings at Chelsea’s James Cohan Gallery were inspired by her travels in China, Cambodia and India.  Strong tonal contrast and a grisaille color scheme impart a somber restraint that speaks to the spiritual import of her subject matter. (Through July 26th).  

Shi Zhiying, Rock Carving of Thousand Buddhas, oil on canvas, 2013.

Willard Boepple at Lori Bookstein Fine Art

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Willard Boepple’s 1981 stainless steel tower is a standout in Lori Bookstein Fine Art’s ‘Heavy Metal’ show for suggesting but denying utility with steps that look as if they’ve survived a hurricane or a cubist rendering. (Through June 29th).  

Willard Boepple, Stephanie, stainless steel, 1981.

Raymond Pettibon on the High Line

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Raymond Pettibon tends to make large installations of small drawings, so this huge drawing depicting a Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn Dodgers game, located next to the High Line at 10th Avenue and 18th Street, is an eye-opener.  The picture goes beyond baseball to hint at East Coast/West Coast rivalries (the Dodgers moved to LA) that extend to music and more. (Through July 1st).  

Raymond Pettibon, No Title (Safe he called…), print on vinyl, 2010.

Alexandre Arrechea in Union Square

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If you missed Alexandre Arrechea’s sculptures of iconic New York City buildings on the Park Avenue mall this spring, you have another chance to enjoy the Cuban artist’s playful take on the city’s architectural landmarks.  Located at the northwest corner of Union Square, this vivid red steel sculpture reimagines The Sherry Netherland hotel as an ouroboros.

Alexandre Arrechea, Sherry Netherland, steel, 2013.

‘Mixed Media Message’ at Barbara Gladstone Gallery

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Summer’s here and so is the Chelsea gallery group show.  One of the best so far is ‘Mixed Media Message’ at Barbara Gladstone Gallery‘s 21st Street location, where curator Neville Wakefield assembles works that use unexpected materials, including Dylan Lynch’s acrylic on steel barrels, Tony Labat’s out-of-reach grill and Kaari Upson’s silicone mattresses.  (Through August 2nd).

Jeff Koons at Sonnabend Gallery

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Chelsea’s ‘Jeff Koons moment’ draws to a close as this week at mega-galleries David Zwirner and Gagosian where Koons’ has shown his stainless steel balloon sculptures and new work inspired by antiquity.  But this Hulk remains at Sonnabend Gallery through July, allowing one more chance to marvel at the meticulous detail of this bronze rendition of an inflatable toy.  

Jeff Koons, Hulk (Friends), polychromed bronze, 2004-2012.

Laurel Nakadate Photos at Leslie Tonkonow

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DNA testing and genealogical research led New-York based artist Laurel Nakadate to distant relations, who she photographed in thirty-one U.S. states over the last two years.  A selection of seventeen photos on view at Chelsea’s Leslie Tonkonow Artworks and Projects, including this detail from a picture of ‘Tyler’ in Texas, were taken outside at night, setting an uncertain stage for a visit from a stranger. (through June 29th).  

Laurel Nakadate, ‘Tyler, Texas #1’, from the Relations series, type-C print, 2013.

Paula Wilson at Sikkema Jenkins

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Paula Wilson’s slice of the city street, created in tapestry at Philadelphia’s Fabric Workshop and Museum, is a stunner in Sikkema Jenkins’ current summer group show.  Surprisingly erotic architectural details and graffiti are a lively and provocative contrast to boarded up buildings that look as if they’ve seen better days.  (In Chelsea through July 12th.)  

Paula Wilson, ‘Between Two,’ silkscreen pigment, acrylic, felt, paper, canvas, wood block prints, spray paint, steel rod, wood hangers, 2010.

Sebastiao Salgado at Yancey Richardson

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A small selection of photographs in Chelsea’s Yancey Richardson Gallery‘s back gallery by Sebastiao Salgado treats visitors to photos like this image of The Brooks Range in Alaska, part of the artist’s Genesis series in which he traveled the planet photographing untouched landscapes and people living traditional lifestyles.  (Through July 3rd).  

Sebastiao Salgado, ‘The Brooks Range, Alaska,’ from the series Genesis, silver gelatin print, 2009.

Arne Svenson at Julie Saul Gallery

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New York photographer Arne Svenson intended to capture the ‘quiet…most human moments,’ when he used a telephoto lens to photograph his downtown Manhattan neighbors through their apartment windows.  He also succeeded in creating a loud storm of protest when they learned about the project, works from which are currently on view at Chelsea’s Julie Saul Gallery.  Did he overstep the bounds of privacy?  What do you think?  (Through June 29th).

Arne Svenson, Neighbors #4, pigment print, 2012.

Garth Weiser at Casey Kaplan Gallery

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Garth Weiser continues to pursue the possibilities for contemporary abstraction with sumptuous metallic paintings like this one (seen in detail).  Weiser applies copper leaf over layers of acrylic, then cuts into the surface using a razor creating patterns with color and texture.  (At Chelsea’s Casey Kaplan Gallery through June 22nd).  

Garth Weiser, detail of ‘WNYC sustaining member Haiku,’ copper leaf, acrylic, and dimensional fabric paint on paper, 2013.

Margaret Weber at Ramiken Crucible

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In one of the Lower East Side’s standout shows of the moment, Margaret Weber meticulously deconstructs large sections of commercial carpeting to create two monumental wall hangings and a floor piece, changing a drab, industrial product into an airy, handcrafted textile.  (At Ramiken Crucible, through June 23rd).  

Margaret Weber, Trading Comfort for Freedom, industrial carpet, 2012.

Mark Shetabi at Jeff Bailey Gallery

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Mark Shetabi’s white, pleasingly symmetrical airport baggage carousel evokes James Turrell’s models for sky-viewing structures (recently exhibited at Pace Gallery).  But while both artists conjure a powerful moment of waiting and wondering, Shetabi’s clever take on minimalist forms is more anxious than sublime.   (At Chelsea’s Jeff Bailey Gallery though June 22nd).  

Mark Shetabi, Carousel, wood, polystyrene, modeling paste, acrylic, linen, sandpaper, old T-shirt, and Plexiglas, 2013.

Leslie Thornton at Winkleman Gallery

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‘You get to have your cake and eat it, too,’ explains experimental film and video artist Leslie Thornton in respect to her three-channel video, ‘Luna.’  Digital effects morph her subject, Coney Island’s historic Parachute Jump, into vibrant, kaleidoscopic forms that evoke different 20th century time periods, prompting us to question what it is that conjures the mood of a particular era.  (At Chelsea’s Winkleman Gallery through June 22nd).  

Leslie Thornton, Luna, three-channel HD video, 12 minutes, 2013.

Erin Shirreff at Lisa Cooley Gallery

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At over nine feet tall, New York-based Erin Shirreff’s hot-rolled steel sculpture ‘Drop (no. 3)’ is imposing without being overbearing.  The elongated shapes, hung from a steel rod, derive from paper scraps created by the artist and turn leftovers into the monumental main attraction.  (At Lisa Cooley Gallery on the Lower East Side through June 23rd).  

Erin Shirreff, Drop (no. 3), raw hot-rolled steel, 2013.

Brendan Fowler at Untitled Gallery

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Brendan Fowler will show his ‘crashed’ photographs, for which he meticulously merges framed photographs into what looks like the disastrous results of careless art shipping, in MoMA’s ‘New Photography’ showcase in Sept.  In the meantime, his solo show on the LES at Untitled Gallery ups the ante in terms of destruction and obfuscation as Fowler covers the photos and their frames with purple or black silkscreens.  (Through June 16th).

Brendan Fowler, Shipper in Jail – Something Something Adris Hoyos Something, silkscreen on archival inkjet prints, silkscreen on frames, plexi, 2013.

Judith Schaechter at Claire Oliver Gallery

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For a commission at the Eastern State Penitentiary, now a Philadelphia-area museum, renowned glass artist Judith Schaechter showed excess and austerity at battle in a gloriously colorful, somewhat comic update of Pieter Breughal’s 1559 painting ‘The Battle of Carnival and Lent.’  (At Claire Oliver Gallery in Chelsea, through July 6th).  

Judith Schaechter, ‘The Battle of Carnival and Lent,’ stained glass lightbox, 2012.

Gedi Sibony at Greene Naftali Gallery

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Known for highly conceptual sculpture and installations using traditionally non-art materials, New York artist Gedi Sibony takes a step towards legibility in his latest show, which offers carpet painted with five images (an acorn, snowflake, seedling, sun and butterfly) that evoke the seasons.  Before them a scuffed, arc-shaped form recalls an empty stage – a platform signifying the potential to communicate.  (At Chelsea’s GreeneNaftali Gallery through June 15th.)  

Gedi Sibony, foreground sculpture: The Porcelains, wood and mixed media, 2013.  3 wall panels: Ceaseless Episodes of Blossom, carpet, primer, 2013.

Betty Woodman at Salon94 Freemans

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To her repertoire of vessel shapes and flat ceramic wall pieces, Betty Woodman adds carpets created from ceramic off-cuts she calls ‘bones’ in her latest solo show at Salon94 Freemans on the Lower East Side. She uses every available piece of gallery real estate (ceiling next?) to immerse visitors in colorful exuberance in both 2-D and 3-D space.  (Through June 14th).  

Betty Woodman, installation view at Salon94 Freemans of ‘Windows, Carpets and Other Paintings,’ May 2013.