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.