Young Peruvian artist Claudia Martinez Garay’s paintings on plaster in the form of squash associate identity with the products of the land, personality with nourishment. Though gourds go through quick cycles of growth and decay relative to humans, this shape appears ancient, taking the mind back through distant human histories tied closely to the land. (On view at Timothy Taylor Gallery in Chelsea through July 26th).
From a pastry case featuring a banana split crafted from burlap, plaster and paint to a monumental canvas hamburger, Claes Oldenburg’s sculpted foodstuffs are familiar favorite foods made alarming through their size and materials. Photographer Sharon Core explores the attraction and repulsion of Oldenburg’s ‘60s classics (including the burger and ice cream) to great effect in her show at Chelsea’s Yancey Richardson Gallery by hand-crafting and photographing a selection of Oldenburg dishes using real food. In contrast to perfectly-presented delectables commonly featured on social media, Core’s edible recreations of Oldenburg’s artworks initially attract, then repulse, questioning just what we want from food these days. (On view through July 3rd).
The pre-fireworks have already begun in anticipation of July 4th’s big celebrations, not just in NYC neighborhoods but in Chelsea at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, where Dana Powell’s ‘TBT’ recalls the thrills of unsanctioned pyrotechnics. (On view in Chelsea through July 26th).
‘Holiday,’ Josh Smith’s painting of the Grim Reaper, may represent a vacation in Edvard Munch’s world, but otherwise has more to do with livening up a typically drab comic convention. A super-abundance of cute bats, Death’s multi-colored robe and a huge moon that’s more pretty-in-pink than bloody liven up a scene that should be darker than it is. While this representation might not exactly make death look good, the makeover is worth thinking about. (On view at David Zwirner Gallery in Chelsea through July 19th).
Scott Olson’s new biomorphic abstractions at James Cohan Gallery’s Lower East Side location continue to tap into the language of early 20th century non-objective art, engaging the imagination with a pleasing play of color and form. A rectangle of dark space at the bottom of the composition sets off what’s above – an array of shapes that tempt interpretation, guiding the eye along diagonally sloping paths toward imagery that resembles the stalks of plants or, above, a segmented area that suggests an arachnid or segmented fruit. (On view through July 26th).
