It comes as no surprise that Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’ is a favorite of New York artist Rona Pondick, whose new sculptures at Chelsea’s Sonnabend Gallery continue her trademark combination of her own head and other cast body parts with plant or animal bodies. Here, a wallaby’s stylized, beautiful form merges with a drooping hand and hanging head, suggesting a dragging weight. (Through April 27th).
Rona Pondick, Wallaby, stainless steel, 2007-12.
Known for cast concrete sculptures that relate to ancient literary or historical characters, often propped up on walkers, New York artist Justin Matherly was inspired by the Turkish archeological site of Nemrud Dagi to create these huge stelae (actually three sculptures end-to-end). Accompanying monoprints featuring the site bring to mind Smithson’s site and non-site as Matherly forges a mental connection between us and a distance place and time. (At Paula Cooper Gallery’s 521 W. 21st Street location through April 27th).
Justin Matherly, Handbook of inner culture for external barbarians (we nah beg no friend), concrete and ambulatory equipment, 2013.
London-based, Japanese artist Hiraki Sawa’s videos tend towards the whimsical, featuring tiny airplanes flying through his apartment or miniature rocking horses buried deep in flokati rugs. ‘Lineament,’ a new two-screen installation at Chelsea’s James Cohan Gallery takes a more serious turn as Sawa meditates on a friend’s sudden, profound memory loss with images of gears and an unraveling record suggesting erasure. (Through April 27th).
Hiraki Sawa, installation shot of Lineament, dual channel HD video with audio, 18:47 min, 2012.
Detail: Elliott Hundley, The Sun Goes Down, sound board, wood, inkjet print on kitakata, paper, string, plastic, photographs, pins, glass, 2013.
Elliott Hundley has toned down his extravagant bricolage in many of his recent artworks at Chelsea’s Andrea Rosen Gallery, but not in this 20ft tour de force in the back gallery. Hung with a curtain of colorful string and featuring dozens of tiny photos of the artist’s friends acting out scenes from black and white films, it’s a dramatic Hollywood homage. (Through April 27th).
Elliott Hundley, The Sun Goes Down, sound board, wood, inkjet print on kitakata, paper, string, plastic, photographs, pins, glass, 2013.
