Jean Dubuffet at Pace Gallery

by Merrily KerrDon't Miss, Features & Commissions, Hottest ShowPosted on Comments are Disabled

Drawn to art made outside of the gallery system, the iconic late artist Jean Dubuffet pursued his own non-academic style in abstract installations meant to bring to mind scenes of busy urban life.  Chelsea’s Pace Gallery explains that ‘Le Cirque,’ a 13’ high sculpture from 1970 currently installed on 25th Street, recreated the ‘visual frenzy of an urban plaza.’ In an accompanying letter from the artist to his dealer, Pace founder Arne Glimcher, Dubuffet points to ancient sources of inspiration for this towering, encompassing sculpture, including stones placed at crossroads or assembled for commemoration.  (On view through Oct 24th.  Appointments, masks and social distancing are required.)

Jean Dubuffet, Le Cirque, polyurethane paint on epoxy, 13’ x 29’ x 31’, 1970-2020.

Luchita Hurtado at Hauser & Wirth Gallery

by Merrily KerrDon't Miss, Features & Commissions, Hottest ShowPosted on Comments are Disabled

In every roll of film Luchita Hurtado shot, there’d be an image in shadow, explains her son, the artist Matt Mullican.  Shadows dominate two walls of drawings featuring the artist’s own silhouette in a show now on view at Hauser & Wirth Gallery, conveying a rich, inner life that the artist didn’t care to display to the public.  Yet elements like a feather or these bands of vibrant color offer clues to emotions and mental states that belie Hurtado’s apparent withdrawal.  (On view in Chelsea through Oct 31st.  Visits can be arranged by timed reservation.)

Luchita Hurtado, charcoal and watercolor on paper, 17 x 13 ¾ inches, c. 1970s.

Jeffrey Gibson at the Brooklyn Museum

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Native people are seen as creative agents, rejecting the colonial gaze in a powerful presentation at the Brooklyn Museum organized by artist Jeffrey Gibson and curator and professor Christian Crouch.  Photos, text, ceramics and more from the institution’s Native American study collection and archives join Gibson’s own joyously colored paintings, sculpture and here, photography.  Dance emerges in the show as a healing act while Gibson’s costumes, inspired by 19th century Ghost Dance, offer protection.  (On view at the Brooklyn Museum of Art through Jan 10th).

Jeffrey Gibson, Roxy (Stand Your Ground), photographic prints, triptych, 2019.

 

Susumu Kamijo at Jack Hanley Gallery

by Merrily KerrDon't Miss, Features & Commissions, Hottest ShowPosted on Comments are Disabled

Known for his paintings of poodles, Brooklyn based artist Susumu Kamijo takes the dog’s form as a launchpad for explorations of color, pattern and form.  Here, the dog breaks up into floating organic shapes that come together to form a canine apparition.  Similarly real-but-not-quite, the dog’s mouth opens in an enthusiastic bark but its half closed eyes suggest restraint.  (On view at Jack Hanley Gallery on the Lower East Side and at Marvin Gardens in Ridgewood, NY through Oct 11th.  Masks and social distancing are required.)

Susumu Kamijo, Tell Me So, flasch vinyl paint on canvas, 48 x 36 inches, 2020.

Harold Ancart at David Zwirner Gallery

by Merrily KerrDon't Miss, Features & Commissions, Hottest ShowPosted on Comments are Disabled

Inspired by the sunlight flashing through the trees on a road trip in France, New York based Belgian painter Harold Ancart embarked on a series of paintings now attracting attention at David Zwirner Gallery in Chelsea.  This fiery abstracted mass brings to mind not just autumn foliage but a giant flaming match or burning bush.  Tranquil blue sky behind the tree sets off the intense energy of this living organism.  (On view through Oct 17th. Masks and social distancing required and appointments recommended).

Harold Ancart, Untitled, oil stick and graphite on canvas in artist’s frame, 80 1/8 x 96 1/8 inches, 2020.