Bayne Peterson at Kristen Lorello Gallery

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

Intimately scaled and vibrantly colored, Bayne Peterson’ abstract sculpture is both a pleasure and puzzle for the eye.  In this Sept ’15 photo from New York Art Tour’s archives, a series of interlocking triangular forms made from dyed plywood segments joined by dyed epoxy creates a jittery pattern belied by the sculpture’s soothing curves.  Peterson’s latest work – currently featured by Kristen Lorello Gallery – was inspired by the dynamism of classical sculpture and the unique optical abilities of the mantis shrimp.  To see his recent sculpture, visit Kristen Lorello Gallery or check out the gallery’s special Learning Opportunities.

Sept 2015 installation view of Bayne Peterson and Nadia Haji Omar at Kristen Lorello Gallery. Foreground: Bayne Peterson, Untitled (Greens, Wood and Stone), dyed plywood, dyed epoxy, powdered granite, resin, 10.5 x 6 x 8 inches.

Kathrin Sonntag in ‘First Responders’ at Thomas Erben Gallery

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

Berlin-based artist Kathrin Sonntag is no stranger to quiet moments in the studio; past photos of seemingly banal environments allude to the paranormal or time travel.  As part of Thomas Erben Gallery’s ‘First Responders’ series – an ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic by gallery artists – Sonntag presents a series of images made in the solitude of her workspace in 2004.  The photos turn the everyday moment into magic; here, nail scissors come to life and mince across the floor.  To see more from Sonntag’s unique POV, visit the gallery’s Instagram or Facebook page.

Kathrin Sonntag, from Thomas Erben Gallery’s Instagram @thomaserbengallery, posted April 6th, 2020.

Tito Ferrara at Bushwick Collective

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

While museums and galleries are closed, a walk through Bushwick’s outdoor art gallery is a great alternative way to get your art fix.  This huge painting of a Brazilian jaguar by Sao Paulo street artist Tito Ferrara dominates the intersection, standing out among the many superb murals commissioned by the Bushwick Collective.  If you can’t get to Bushwick, check out the latest murals @thebushwickcollective or watch a short video of Ferrara strolling through the neighborhood @titoferrara.

Tito Ferrara, installation view of A Brazilian Jaguar, at Jefferson Street and St Nicholas Ave, 2019.

Cecily Brown on The Brooklyn Rail and from New York Art Tours Archive

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

Figures emerge and recede in Cecily Brown’s energetic gestural expressionism; this Nov ’17 photo from New York Art Tour’s archives features a face so subtle it seems to have emerged by chance from the drips and lines of paints surrounding it.  It’s a great moment to catch up with Brown’s latest work on Instagram @dellyrose – where she’s been posting paintings featuring far more direct characters – and via The Brooklyn Rail’s daily live lunchtime conversation tomorrow, April 1st with Jason Rosenfeld, Editor-at-large. (Access is free and by Zoom.  Visit Eventbrite to book).

Cecily Brown, detail from Sirens and Shipwrecks and Bathers and the Band, oil on linen, 97 x 151 x 1.5 inches, 2016.

Jennifer Guidi at Gagosian Gallery

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

With galleries and museums shut down, what are artists doing these days?  Jennifer Guidi’s recent Instagram posts show her doing what she always does – logging hours in the studio.  This image from her now-shuttered show at Gagosian Gallery ponders the impact and attraction of color and form.  Originally inspired by a diagram illustrating Goethe’s color theory, Guidi was also influenced by Austrian naturalist Ignaz Schiffermuller’s color wheel, remaking here it as a painting that dominates one of Gagosian’s huge walls.  It’s her meticulous mark-making, however, that has generated such excitement over her work.  Here, two Instagram posts demonstrate the repetitive processes underlying Guidi’s work.

Jennifer Guidi, Your Colors Are Eternal (Schiffermuller), sand, acrylic and oil on linen, 144 x 2 ½ inches, 2019.