Inspired by a mid-19th century geographical survey that attempted to catalogue the inhabitants, economies and landscapes of Colombia, Cartagena-based artist Ruby Rumie’s latest photography series at Nohra Haime Gallery in Chelsea celebrates the diversity and beauty of her fellow citizens. Crowned by peppers or wreathed in abundant clusters of fruit, project participants pose with their favorite foods, suggesting that our personal likes and preferences are an aspect of both individual and shared identity. (On view through July 16th).
Ruby Rumie, installation view of ‘Us, 172 Years Later’ at Nohra Haime Gallery, Chelsea, June ’23.
Enter Gagosian Gallery and you’ll immediately see Marilyn Monroe striking flirtatious poses in 1957, to the right is a joyous full-length portrait of Tina Turner and further back, a cast of characters from Andy Warhol’s Factory exudes downtown chic, even in the nude. The gallery’s museum-quality celebration of iconic photographer Richard Avedon’s 100 birthday includes some of the most recognized subjects and photographs of the 2nd half of the 20th century, a time when Avedon shot for Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and the New Yorker while also completing his own projects. The beautifully staged exhibition offers sightlines that take visitors from oil field workers in Oklahoma to a fashion shoot narrative (right and left in this image) to Dovima, posing with elephants in a Paris circus in 1955. (On view through July 7th).
Richard Avedon, installation view of ‘Avedon 100’ at Gagosian Gallery, May 2022.
A lacy garment opens to reveal an aerial view of marchers protesting for women’s rights in ‘Women of Revolution,’ a beautifully detailed colored pencil on paper drawing in Azita Moradkhani’s inspiring show at Jane Lombard Gallery. Fueled by the Woman Life Freedom movement and her own long consideration of impositions on women’s bodies in her home country of Iran, Moradkhani’s drawings combine photojournalistic images of protest with undergarments that symbolize close and personal concerns. (On view in Tribeca through June 10th).
Azita Moradkhani, (detail) Women of Revolution, colored pencil on paper, 40 x 26.23 inches, 2023.Azita Moradkhani, Women of Revolution, colored pencil on paper, 40 x 26.23 inches, 2023.
After a serious car crash in the mid-60s prompted a career shift from aerospace engineering to fine art, West coast Light and Space artist Fred Eversley applied his knowledge of materials to the creation of tinted cast sculptures like those now on view at David Kordansky Gallery in Chelsea. As a kid in his father’s basement lab, Eversley recreated Galileo’s experiments in making parabolic shapes; as an artist, he describes his work as reflecting forms of energy and light. Eminently enjoyable, Eversley explains that his sculptures are “made for spectators to amuse themselves by discovering all of the infinite combinations of internal reflections, refractions, color changes and other optical phenomena that one can perceive within an individual piece of sculpture.” (On view through June 10th).
Fred Eversley, installation view of ‘Cylindrical Lenses’ at David Kordansky Gallery, May 2023.
A fabulously patterned rendition of Harriet Tubman’s portrait at the entrance to Bisa Butler’s show at Deitch Projects announces Butler’s supremely enjoyable textile practice and celebration of the achievements of Black Americans. Basing her artworks on photographs by creatives including Gordon Parks and Jamel Shabazz, Butler lovingly embellishes her subjects using an array of rich materials, including cotton, silk, wool, velvet, and lace. This portrait of Ahmir Questlove Thompson (original photo by Daniel Dorsa) incorporates glass beads, adding dimension and reflecting light to suggest the musical artist’s visionary quality. (On view through June 30th).
Bisa Butler, The Passion of Questlove, from a photograph of Ahmir Questlove Thompson by Daniel Dorsa, cotton, silk, wool, velvet, lace, jet glass beads and vinyl quilted and appliqued, 36 x 23 inches, 2023.Bisa Butler, (detail) The Passion of Questlove, from a photograph of Ahmir Questlove Thompson by Daniel Dorsa, cotton, silk, wool, velvet, lace, jet glass beads and vinyl quilted and appliqued, 36 x 23 inches, 2023.
