Gracelee Lawrence at Postmasters Gallery

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Is it natural to manipulate nature?  Gracelee Lawrence’s 3D printed sculpture of fruit and the human body, two commonly modified objects, question how far we’re willing to go.  In new work now on view at Postmasters Gallery in Tribeca, Lawrence prints versions of her own body in vegetable-derived bioplastic, merging it with plant or fruit-forms to create an extra-fertile figure.  Fruits and veg displayed on rotating disks include this giant (7 inches in length) strawberry, an object to admire but no longer to consume, at least in its traditional capacity as food.  (On view through July 23rd).

Gracelee Lawrence, Trampled or in Your Hands, polylactic acid 3D print, 8 available in an edition of 10 with 2 AP, 7 x 6 x 5 inches, 2021.

Nam June Paik at Gagosian Gallery

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20th century new media pioneer Nam June Paik integrated nature and technology in iconic artworks like his TV Garden (monitors set amid live plants) and robots that mimic the human figure.  One of the robots is a standout in Gagosian Gallery’s current two-part exhibition of multi-media work from Paik’s career.  Composed of radios – mass produced, found objects that spread information and culture globally – Paik’s late career robot sculptures don’t move, rather their bodies feature movement via circular inset monitors.  Excited by the merger of technology, art and music and the advance of technology into daily life, Paik used TV sets like canvases and constructed cellos from stacked monitors.  Both on display in the current show testifying to the artist’s hopeful and creative vision.  (On view in Chelsea through July 22nd and at Gagosian’s uptown from July 19th – Aug 26th).

Nam June Paik, Bakelite Robot, single-channel video, LCD color monitors, electric lights, media player and permanent oil marker, 49 ½ x 58 x 7 inches, 2002.

Carrie Moyer’s ‘Pirate Jenny’ at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art is switching up its contemporary galleries regularly these days in an exciting change from past years.  For the last month, this lush, abstract painting by Brooklyn-based painter, writer and activist Carrie Moyer has enticed mezzanine visitors, celebrating Pride Month and offering up pure visual pleasure.  Titled ‘Pirate Jenny,’ the piece refers to a song in Bertoldt Brecht and Kurt Will’s ‘Three Penny Opera’ about a hotel maid who triumphs over her scornful fellow townspeople, sailing away to happiness.

Carrie Moyer, Pirate Jenny, acrylic, glitter, and graphite on canvas, 2012.

Nicole Eisenman at Hauser & Wirth Gallery

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Things don’t look good for this couple, whose lives have literally come crashing together in this monumental painting by Nicole Eisenman at Chelsea’s Hauser and Wirth Gallery.  Though the flying cyclist and tumbling cat rescuer look as if they’re going to be injured, their faces are impassive, lacking even a hint of regret or fear and the title – Destiny Riding Her Bike – reveals that resistance would be useless.  In a profile article in The New Yorker, Eisenman connected the scene to their own romantic partnership; swirling patterns and intense colors in the landscape speak to the intensity of this couple’s relationship.  (On view through July 29th).

Nicole Eisenman, Destiny Riding Her Bike, oil on canvas, 127 x 105 inches, 2020.

Gina Beavers at Marianne Boesky Gallery

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Known for high-relief acrylic and foam paintings, Gina Beavers’ work on paper now at Chelsea’s Marianne Boesky Gallery still leaps off the surface, even though it’s fully 2-D.  Inspired by enticing ‘food porn’ images and ubiquitous makeup tutorials available on-line, Beavers combines the two here in ‘Hot Dog Nails.’ (On view through August 5th).

Gina Beavers, Hot Dog Nails, soft pastel on paper, 34 x 27 inches, 2022.