Anselm Kiefer at Gagosian Gallery

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Gagosian Gallery’s enormous Chelsea space seems made to accommodate the monumental scale and theme of Anselm Kiefer’s latest paintings, which address contemporary migration via reference to Greek mythology and the Biblical exodus.  The title of this over 43’ long painting, ‘Danae,’ refers to the Greek myth of Zeus manifesting as a shower of gold to visit the imprisoned Danae, a liaison which resulted in the birth of their son, Perseus.  Here, a cloud of gold hovers above the cavernous hangar of Berlin’s now-closed Tempelhof Airport, a space that has been used to house refugees, as if to rain blessing on the imperiled populations that have taken refuge there. (On view through Dec 23rd).

Anselm Kiefer, Danae, emulsion, acrylic, oil, shellac, gold leaf, coal, metal and wires on canvas, 149 5/8 x 523 5/8 inches, 2016 – 2021.

Allison Schulnik at PPOW Gallery

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Set off against purple and pink walls at PPOW Gallery, Allison Schulnik’s paintings of night visitors to her property in Sky Valley, California convey the mystery and intrigue of the owls, bobcats and foxes that make the desert their home.  The animation ‘Purple Mountain’ – the title piece for the show, created from 675 gouache on paper paintings – features distant San Jacinto Peak in a blaze of glorious light conditions.  By contrast, this bobcat and other animals appear to have been glimpsed briefly in a flash of light against the dark of night; rendered in Schulnik’s signature impasto style, they convey a sense of immediacy and power through their expressive rendering. (On view through Dec 10th).

Allison Schulnik, Water Plate Bobcat #1, oil on canvas stretched over panel, 48 x 60 in, 2021.

Angel Otero at Hauser & Wirth Gallery

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Featuring a piano from his studio, a former church building in the Hudson Valley, this vibrant painting by Angel Otero is a standout among his new work at Hauser & Wirth Gallery.  Otero once created abstract images from sheets of dried oil paint; he now employs a combination of techniques from paint on canvas to collaged paint, resulting in thick, complex surfaces that suggest layers of memories.  Inspired by recollections of his upbringing in Puerto Rico, ‘Concerto’ acknowledges the personal resonance of objects like dentures in a glass, a large cooking pot or the magical suggestion of a school of goldfish filling the air.  (On view in Chelsea through Dec 23rd).

Angel Otero, Concerto, oil paint and fabric collaged on canvas, 95 x 95 x 1 ½ inches, 2022.

Leda Catunda at Bortolami Gallery

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Titled ‘Geography,’ Brazilian artist Leda Catunda’s current exhibition at Bortolami Gallery offers personal interpretations of the landscape in the form of fabric-based sculptures sourced from materials created by the fashion and decoration industries.  Here, ‘Mapa Mundi’ juxtaposes the built environment (represented by swatches of plaid) with green areas inhabited by chickens.  She adds rocks from a shoreline, a few bucolic scenes of country life and ominous patches of flame, all surrounded by flowing waters.  Zones of striped colors suggest unknown aspects of life on the planet, in Catunda’s vision, a place created by our desire to define ourselves through images and design.  (On view through Dec 23rd).

Leda Catunda, Mapa Mundi, acrylic and enamel on fabric, wood, plastic, velvet, voile, flags, rug and foam, 90 ½ x 118 1/8 inches, 2022.

Jannis Kounellis at Gladstone Gallery

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Describing himself as a ‘Greek man and an Italian artist,’ the late Jannis Kounellis was a founder of Arte Povera, a movement that emerged from the desire of post-war Italian artists to embrace materials more linked to everyday life than to fine art.  In this piece from 2016, Kounellis sourced outdoor sheds, placing them on beds of coals arranged in a grid around Gladstone Gallery’s spacious 21st Street location.  Iron panels line the walls, holding a rope and bent pieces of metal that resemble an alphabet.  Though not meant to be interpreted literally, Kounellis’ materials are evocative – coal suggesting fire and the wooden sheds standing in for fuel while looking like makeshift coffins.  Whether it’s the death of the industrial past hinted at by the old railway sheds or more contemporary losses, this somber installation acts as a reminder to pause and reflect.  (On view through Dec 23rd).

Jannis Kounellis, Untitled, iron panels, bent metal, metal hooks; iron panels, rope, metal hooks; antique wardrobes, coal, overall dimensions variable, 2016.