Category: Don’t Miss

Christmas is just around the corner, but amid the shopping and festivities, don’t forget that many gallery shows are slated to close right before the holidays. The most obvious must-see is John Currin’s racy, exquisitely rendered portraits at Gagosian Gallery’s uptown location. Meanwhile, don’t miss the huge show of late Warhols at the gallery’s two downtown spaces, where self-portraits in fright wigs butt heads with Mao and Jesus makes an appearance in monumental Last Suppers. For something out of the ordinary, catch Martha Camarillo’s photographs of horse-riding culture in the heart of inner city Philadelphia (as in, hanging out on the street on a horse), at the Jack Shainman Gallery. (All shows close December 22nd.)

A trio of shows south of the border (e.g. just beyond the Meatpacking District!) are a cinch to draw visitors below 14th Street this month with excellent offerings by young West Coast artists Evan Holloway and Jennifer Bornstein and Swiss legend Dieter Roth. Holloway at long last presents his first New York solo show after attracting attention in the 2002 Whitney Biennial for his abstract sculptures, while Bornstein departs from her usual photo and film-based work to present intimate portraits created by copperplate etching. Meanwhile Carolina Nitsch Contemporary Art shows editioned graphics and objects by the master of odd art materials (including chocolate and sausage) as part of a two-gallery show also at Josee Bienvenu Gallery in Chelsea. (Evan Holloway’s and Jennifer Bornstein’s shows are open until Nov 18th, Dieter Roth’s is open until Nov 25.)

Find out more at: http://www.gavinbrown.biz, http://www.harrislieberman.com

It’s no wonder ‘Helter Swelter,’ Justin Lowe’s first New York solo show attracted reviews in The New York Times, the Village Voice and Time Out. This young collage artist turned the gallery itself into an artwork by creating a convincing, full scale corner store in the front room, parking an ice cream van in the hall, and covering the floor of the back room in fabulous psychedelic swirls of fabric. This meeting of life and art may not explain the mysteries of the universe, but the experience is unique enough for a visit. (Through July 28th)

Find out more at: 5be Gallery

For one week only, New York hosts an extravaganza of Asian art made here and abroad in a series of non-stop lectures, exhibition openings and events. Highlights include an array of video works presented at art venues across the city, sculptures by legendary Indian outsider artist Nek Chand, and even an intergenerational showdown between two action painters on a blocked off street in Tribeca. With so many events happening in so many venues, it ’s a sure bet that something good with be happening near you.

For more information and schedules, visit Asian Contemporary Art Week’s website.