Josephine Halvorson at Sikkema Jenkins & Co

Josephine Halvorson can turn the most mundane roadside object, from discarded refuse to aged signage, into an object worthy of contemplation.  In her latest solo show at Sikkema Jenkins & Co titled ‘Unforgotten,’ the Massachusetts-based painter zeros in on remnants from the past, including a tumbleweed, a neglected work bulletin board and this rusted disconnect box.  A pleasingly symmetrical pattern of circular holes coexists with bullet holes, both of which let the late day sunlight pass through to create bright ovals of orange light.  The umber tones in the box and the landscape contrast a cloudless blue sky, adding beauty to a setting that few would value.  (On view in Chelsea through April 22nd).

Josephine Halvorson, Disconnect Box, acrylic gouache on panel, 32 x 26 inches, 2022.

Albert Oehlen at Gagosian Gallery

German painter Albert Oehlen’s continuously morphing style has been associated with ‘bad painting’ and a sense of being “on the way to becoming something else,” two qualities which linked him in his mind to another celebrated and influential artist, Paul McCarthy who he has invited to show with him now at Gagosian Gallery.  Oehlen’s new work features a recurring abstracted form resembling a corporate logo, a modified pi symbol or, in proximity to the figurative sculpture by McCarthy, a squat torso with two long legs.  Seen in various color combinations and even as a cast aluminum sculpture, the form merges with or boldly erupts from fields of gestural abstraction.  Here, the ambiguous shape appears defaced by paint, a suggestion that the medium still has power to shake things up.  (On view in Chelsea through April 22nd).

Albert Oehlen, Omega Man 15, acrylic and oil on canvas, 2021.

LaToya Ruby Frazier at Gladstone Gallery

In a time when public monuments and memorials are being reconsidered, LaToya Ruby Frazier’s Carnegie Prize Winning installation ‘More Than Conquerors: A Monument for Community Health Workers of Baltimore, Maryland 2021-2022,’ is a model for way forward, not by not singling out one achiever but by lauding a community of heroic individuals who dedicate their personal and work lives to helping others access better health care.  Now on view at Gladstone Gallery, in Chelsea, the artwork features photos of and interviews with eighteen individuals like Kendra Lindsey.  A carer for her family since she was a child, Lindsey was inspired to start a health and wellness business, become an auxiliary police officer and support local community groups in addition to working as a community health worker.  As a tribute and an act of advocacy for appropriate pay, ‘More than Conquerors’ is a moving and illuminating look into the lives and motivations of an under-appreciated yet vital workforce.  (On view through April 15th).

LaToya Ruby Frazier, ‘More Than Conquerors: A Monument for Community Health Workers of Baltimore, Maryland 2021-2022’, 18 stainless steel IV poles, 66 archival inkjet prints, dimensions available, 2022.

Edward Burtynsky at Sundaram Tagore Gallery

Renowned Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky has spent a lifetime documenting mankind’s impact on the planet, picturing German coal mines, vast industrial landscapes in China and more recently, salt pans, gold tailings, oil bunkering and more in sub-Saharan Africa.  His current exhibition of photos shot in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and beyond at Chelsea’s Sundaram Tagore Gallery includes otherworldly landscapes created by the harvesting of salt, including these Salt Ponds near Naglou Sam Sam in Senegal. In shallow, man-made ponds, microorganisms change color as evaporation causes salinity to increase, resulting in a spectacular, painterly display. (On view in Chelsea through April 1st).

Edward Burtynsky, Salt Ponds #4, Near Naglou Sam Sam, Senegal, pigment inkjet print on Kodak Professional Photo Paper, 48 x 64 inches, 2019.

Rose B. Simpson at Jack Shainman Gallery

Because they’re hollow, ceramic artist Rose B. Simpson’s sculptures “hold space,” she explained in a recent interview with Vogue.  She went on to say, “I often think about the space inside as holding intention; I want them to go out and do work in the world and be vessels for that intention I’m putting out there.” Three large vessel-like sculptures in Simpson’s current exhibition at Jack Shainman Gallery are a powerful presence, marked by signs that relate to specific meaningful ideas for the artist, representative of her internal thought processes and development.  Titled ‘The Road Less Traveled,’ Simpson’s show introduces this already very successful artist to New York audiences as a maker who follows her own way.  (On view in Chelsea through April 8th).

Rose B. Simpson, (foreground) Vital Organ: Stomach, clay, twine, grout, 91”, 2022, (background) Reclamation IV, clay, steel, lava and bone beads, leather, grout, 88 x 15 x 13 inches, 2022.