Josh Tonsfeld at Simon Preston Gallery

When his grandparents’ Missouri farmhouse burned, Josh Tonsfeld’s family salvaged some things and left the rest.  In a creative act of excavation, the New York based artist returned to remove more objects from the debris, including this book, ruined furniture and correspondence, which he arranges in the gallery in a kind of provocative but inconclusive personal archeology of a past American life.   (At Simon Preston Gallery through June 2nd).

Josh Tonsfeld, Untitled, book, 2013.

Jeronimo Elespe at Eleven Rivington

Madrid-based painter Jeronimo Elespe’s tiny oil on aluminum paintings seem to be dematerializing before our eyes, as in this hazy view of a working artist titled ‘The Short Painter.’  Elespe works at night, capturing shimmering light and ghostly blue lines that speak of mysterious possibilities.  (At Eleven Rivington’s 195 Chrystie location on the Lower East Side through June 14th).  

Jeronimo Elespe, The Short Painter, oil on aluminum, 2011-13.

Wim Delvoye at Sperone Westwater

Wim Delvoye’s twisted Gothic tower and a bronze crucifix distorted into a Möbius band flirt with potentially provocative subject matter; ultimately, however, his spectacularly distorted swirls of laser-cut metal are all about the wow factor.  (At Sperone Westwater on the Lower East Side through June 28th).  

Wim Delvoye, Dual Möbius Quad Corpus, polished bronze, 2010.

Hannah Starkey at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

In her latest photo series, ‘In the Company of Mothers,’ British artist Hannah Starkey portrays young urban moms as tender, nurturing and chic – perfect for celebrating Mother’s Day today. (At Chelsea’s Tanya Bonakdar Gallery through May 25th)  

Hannah Starkey, Untitled, July 2012, c-print, 2012.

Aiko Hachisuka at Eleven Rivington

When Aiko Hachisuka doesn’t want a piece of clothing any more, she doesn’t just bag it for the thrift shop.  The LA-based artist’s bulging cloth sculptures are made from clothing she’s folded, screenprinted, stuffed and stitched together in large, exuberant forms.   (At Eleven Rivington on the Lower East Side through June 14th)

Aiko Hachisuka, Pro Weight, silkscreen on clothing and foam, 2011.