Julio Le Parc at Perrotin Gallery

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To Argentinian-French artist Julio Le Parc, the individual’s experience of his work is everything.  From inventing games that could be played on the street to constructing installations of moving lights, Le Parc has experimented with ways to draw in his audience and heighten their perceptions of the world around them.  Here, at Perrotin Gallery, hanging aluminum shapes reflect the gallery and visitors, bringing both into the experience of the sculpture.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Dec 23rd.  Masks and social distancing are required).

Julio Le Parc, Continuel mobile en diagonal, Inox steel, coated steel cable, aluminium, 118 1/8 × 118 1/8 × 118 1/8 inch, 2020.

Etel Adnan at Galerie Lelong

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Etel Adnan’s ‘Danse Nocturne’ is a standout in her current show of painting and tapestry at Chelsea’s Galerie Lelong, its bold lines and saturated color communicating a vibrant energy that reaches right across the gallery space.  Abstracted landscapes, starting with an image of an olive tree at the gallery’s entrance, suggest a joyful experience of nature rendered in a rich material – wool tapestry.  Adnan has explained that that an artist’s materials are like a co-author, conveying meaning in a unique way; here, tapestry mediates the work’s expressionistic immediacy and conveying a considered appreciation of natural beauty. (On view through Dec 19th.  Masks and social distancing are required).

Etel Adnan, Danse Nocturne, wool tapestry, 67.5 x 99.8 inches, 2019.

Martin Puryear, New Voortrekker at Matthew Marks Gallery

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History looms large in succinct and powerful sculptures by Martin Puryear at Matthew Marks Gallery that include a huge civil war cap with a cannon hidden inside and a classical fluted column supporting a stylized shackle – a monument to Sally Hemings.  Here, a precariously situated wagon reimagines the vehicles the Boers used to move into South Africa’s interior in the 19th century.  Titled ‘New Voortrekker,’ after the term the Boers used for themselves, the sculpture’s wagon features a spiral staircase with a mirror at its base, as if to offer ascending/descending settlers a different view of themselves.  (On view in Chelsea through Dec 19th. Masks, social distancing and appointments are required).

Martin Puryear, New Voortrekker, ash, American cypress, maple, mirror, 2018.

Melissa Brown at Derek Eller Gallery

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Real and virtual space combine in provocative ways in Melissa Brown’s new paintings at Derek Eller Gallery.  Inspired by routines that have been upended by the pandemic, Brown pictures include familiar New York haunts like the Met Museum but with digital distortions, and interior scenes that feature screens or mirrors to suggest portals into other worlds.  Here, a hand shifts two balls around in front of the window of an empty train overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset – a frenetic activity in a strangely quiet place.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Dec 19th.)

Melissa Brown, Commute, flashe, oil, acrylic on DiBond, 72 x 54 inches, 2020.

Derek Fordjour at Petzel Gallery

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Derek Fordjour’s tour de force exhibition at Petzel Gallery includes two dramatic sculptural installations, a puppet show performed twice daily and two distinct bodies of collaged 2-D work, each as powerful as the next.  Continuing to address themes of systemic racism in the US, Fordjour was prompted by George Floyd’s death to directly address Black grief, mourning and the specter of death in several powerful paintings.  He also returns to his signature themes of performance and games to consider the complex lives of Black performers in the spotlight.  The synchronized swimmers in this image join marching bands, dancers, jugglers who occupy ambiguous identities as they keep the show on the road.  (On view in Chelsea through Dec 19th.  Masks and social distancing are required.)

Derek Fordjour, Cadence, acrylic, charcoal, cardboard, oil paste, foil and glitter on newspaper mounted on canvas, 2020.

Anna Ostoya, Slap at Bortolami Gallery

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Anna Ostoya’s oil paintings of bodies in motion leap, surge forward, jump and float, each canvas presenting a different manner of group movement.  This activity and the presence of protesters in other works in her show at Tribeca’s Bortolami Gallery lends a Futurist-like energy and an urgency to her abstracted scenes.  “I’m trying to get Slap to look violent and fragile and to pull all of the contrasting colors together to slap the eyes,” explains Ostoya in a succinct explanation of this work’s dramatic impact.  (On view through Dec 19th.  Masks and social distancing are required).

Anna Ostoya, Slap, oil on canvas, 75 x 60 inches, 2020.

Sam Gilliam at Pace Gallery

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On a recent visit to Basel, Switzerland, iconic Color Field painter Sam Gilliam was struck by how a recent influx of African immigrants has changed the city’s demographics.  Gilliam began pondering architectural forms from the African continent; a variety of pyramidal forms and circular buildings (e.g. Great Zimbabwe) come to mind on entering his arrangement of beautifully toned wood and aluminum sculptures at Pace Gallery.  Resting on wheels, the pieces have the potential to be moved (though not by gallery visitors) – an improvisation like a musical composition. (On view in Chelsea through Dec 19th. Masks and social distancing are required).

Sam Gilliam, installation view of Existed Existing at Pace Gallery, Nov 2020.

Cindy Sherman’s Tapestries at Metro Pictures

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On the heels of iconic photographer Cindy Sherman’s latest solo show at Metro Pictures, the gallery recently hung three enormous tapestries by the artist in its back gallery.  Based on portraits created using filters and face-altering apps and posted to Instagram, the images don’t have the resolution to be printed large-scale but work wonderfully as tapestries, in which pixels translate to thread.  More profoundly distorted and infinitely creepier than Sherman’s printed photos, the tapestries dramatically move Sherman’s vision from screen to wall.  (On view at Chelsea’s Metro Pictures Gallery.  Masks and social distancing are required.)

Cindy Sherman, installation view of three tapestries at Metro Pictures Gallery, Nov 2020.

Shari Mendelson at Tibor de Nagy Gallery

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The centuries and cultural divides melt away like hot glue in Brooklyn sculptor Shari Mendelson’s replicas of ancient artifacts from China, Egypt, Mesopotamia and elsewhere at Tibor de Nagy Gallery.  Using plastic bottles gathered near her studio, Mendelson cuts and glues together forms, using acrylic resin to make patinas that transform trash into ancient artworks.  Here, she creates a Tang Dynasty court lady from recognizable consumer plastics, subtly nodding to the material’s long life.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Dec 5th).

Shari Mendelson, Praying Lotus Woman, repurposed plastic and mixed media, 17 x 10 x 11 inches, 2020.

Brian Calvin, Composite Sketch at Anton Kern

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As artists continue to present bodies of work created during the pandemic, Californian painter Brian Calvin’s best new paintings at Anton Kern Gallery stand out for concisely capturing a feeling of disorientation.  Here, a female figure’s parted lips convey cluelessness or surprise and a sense of vulnerability, yet at the same time, her other mouth – lips firmly pressed together – suggest composure.  Trying to separate the faces (and emotions) can literally hurt.  (On view in midtown through Dec 5th.  Masks and social distancing required).

Brian Calvin, Composite Sketch, acrylic on linen, 40 x 30 inches, 2020.

Pat Oleszko and Anthea Hamilton in ‘Living Things’ at JTT Gallery

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Whether it’s the wheezing, inflatable breast sculpture by Pat Oleszko or Anthea Hamilton’s sea-life encrusted boot near the entrance, the group exhibition ‘Living Things’ at JTT Gallery immediately feels set apart.  Though the artists hail from different generations and employ various media, performance and transformation is key.  Here, Pat Oleszko’s huge hammer costume appears in an accompanying film, ‘Tool Box,’ while Anthea Hamilton’s Papilio whip butterfly dominates the back wall with leather whips for antenna.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Nov 28th.  Masks and social distancing are required.)

Back wall: Anthea Hamilton, Papilio whip butterfly, printed fabric, Devore velvet, Ikat cotton, upholstery foam, leather whips, metal cable ties, 2018. Foreground: Pat Oleszko, Mike Hammer (from the Tool Jest), foam, fabric, paint, wire, 1984.

Sadie Laska at Canada New York

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Sadie Laska’s flags line the walls of Canada NYC’s Tribeca project room in a profusion of color and an abundance of possible messages. An evolving fish strides along with the message ‘go fund yourself,’ as if suggesting a fundraising campaign to finance future development.  Nearby, a quilted star hovers over the image of planet earth featured in the 1960s-designed Earth Flag, while a mysterious silhouette thoughtfully paces above it all.  With humor, Laska suggests more complex flag-flying.  (On view in Tribeca through Dec 5th).

Sadie Laska, Installation view of EREHWON at Canada Gallery, Nov 2020.

David Kennedy Cutler in ‘Masks’ at Klaus Gallery

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Why stop at masking your mouth and nose these days?  David Kennedy Cutler’s standout contribution to Klaus Gallery’s group exhibition, ‘Mask,’ shows the artist’s rack of cloned selves in the form of complete suits constructed by printing scanned images on cotton and plastic.  Designed to be worn in performances by multiple individuals, including the artist, each character manifests the digital self with ‘real’ self hidden beneath.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Nov 28th.  Masks and social distancing required.)

David Kennedy Cultler, Second Skins, inkjet on cotton and PETG, zipper, Velcro, deconstructed sneakers, performance detritus, wood rack, outfits: 79 x 22 x 12 inches, 2017-2020.

Stephanie Temma Hier at Arsenal Contemporary Art

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While most artists would choose between a ceramic sculpture or a painting for a given artwork, young Brooklyn-based Canadian artist Stephanie Temma Hier combines both in wall-mounted sculptures that frame representational paintings of fruit, vegetables, and flowers.  Surrounded by natural imagery, the artworks set up conversations between painting and crafted subjects that literally expand our thinking beyond the frame.  Here, fresh, clean and ready to cook greens meet both wild (hallucinogenic?) and chopped mushrooms offering a variety of pathways to consumption.  (On view at Arsenal Contemporary Art on the Lower East Side through Dec 20th.  Masks and social distancing required).

Stephanie Temma Hier, Beloved by the Caterpillar, oil on linen with glazed stoneware, 21.5 x 18 x 3 inches, 2020.

Jordan Nassar at James Cohan Gallery

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A rich array of colors make Jordan Nassar’s flame-worked glass bead sculptures at James Cohan Gallery an immediate and present pleasure, yet the experience of dislocation drives these abstracted landscapes.  Raised in the US, the young Palestinian-American artist grew up understanding aspects of his family’s culture at a geographical remove.  Here, he creates points of entry into imagined landscapes through transparent grids of glass beads.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Nov 21st.  Masks and social distancing required.)


Jordan Nassar, Bab Al-Amoud (Gate of The Pillar), hand-flamed glass beads, steel, wire, 12 x 29 x 10 inches, 2020.

Inka Essenhigh, Forever Young at Miles McEnery

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Inspired by a multitude of sources from Dali to Disney, Inka Essenhigh continues to craft fantastical scenarios as intriguing as they are bizarre.  Here, a curvy female figure (seemingly crafted from a single orange/green material from her hair to her off-kilter shoes) primps in front of a shattered mirror that reflects a monster-like apparition.  Are we seeing reality?  Will she continue to transform before our eyes?  Essenhigh’s rich stories leave us wanting more.  (On view at Miles McEnery Gallery on 22nd Street in Chelsea through Nov 14th).

Inka Essenhigh, Forever Young, enamel on canvas, 60 x 42 inches, 2020.

Emma Kohlmann at Jack Hanley Gallery

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The long-armed embrace offered by the central figure says it all in this acrylic on canvas painting by Emma Kohlmann at Jack Hanley Gallery on the Lower East Side.  Kohlmann explains that viewers who venture out to galleries during the pandemic should encounter an oasis, or a place to be distracted from turbulent times.  Caring couples, harmonious relationships between humans and nature, and references to Matisse’s colorful painting abound in a show that will take the mind to happy places.  (On view through Nov 14th).

Emma Kohlmann, When I Found My People, Acrylic on raw canvas, 60 x 60 inches, 2020.

Amy Sillman at Gladstone Gallery

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One ambiguous figure appears to break into multiple forms in Amy Sillman’s irresistible ‘Split 3,’ shifting to the side as if to walk off the canvas.  Dominant yellow, green and red colors draw the eye back into the painting’s depths but thick, dark horizontal lines of paint block the viewer’s journey.  Coming and going, inviting and refusing, in motion yet static, the contradictions in the canvas reward pondering.  (On view in Chelsea at Gladstone Gallery through Nov 14th.)

Amy Sillman, Split 3, acrylic and oil on linen, 72 x 60 inches, 2020.

Billie Zangewa at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

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Titled ‘Wings of Change’ rather than ‘winds,’ Billie Zangewa’s new body of work at Lehmann Maupin Gallery speaks to the importance of personal renewal and of hope in the face of difficult times.  Created by hand-stitching pieces of silk together on larger, fragmentary surfaces, perfection is not the goal.  Rather, each work acknowledges life’s messiness (all were made during the pandemic) and features Zangewa and her son continuing to build their life together at home.  (On view in Chelsea through Nov 3rd).

Billie Zangewa, Heart of the Home, hand-stitched silk collage, 53.5 x 43.25 inches, 2020.

Anders Oinonen at The Hole NYC

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It’s often hard to read a visage by Canadan artist Anders Oinonen, whose cast of odd characters is currently making faces on the walls of The Hole NYC on the Lower East Side.  This figure has turned his or her architectural face sideways, allowing cotton candy hair to float along the top of the canvas.  Though partially obscured in shadow, the face looks anxious, making this individual a perfect representative of the election anxiety faced by many Americans today.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Nov 15th).

Anders Oinonen, Untitled, oil on canvas, 30 x 24 inches, 2020.

Ariel Orozco at Spencer Brownstone Gallery

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No detail of urban life is too mundane for Mexico-City based conceptual artist Ariel Orozco, whose minimalist panels at Spencer Brownstone Gallery uncover a hidden choreography in the metropolis.  Finding himself trailing 18 wheelers through city traffic, Orozco recorded the patterns of blinking lights on the rear of the trucks, then recreated the same flashing sequences with lights embedded into canvas.  The effect is humorous and surprisingly engaging…and viewers don’t even have to deal with diesel exhaust.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Nov 8th).

Ariel Orozco, installation view of La cabeza el los pies (Head on feet), truck tail lights, electrical hardware, circuit box, canvas on panel, 90.5 x 78.5 inches, 2020.

Hana Yilma Godine at Fridman Gallery

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Reflecting the complexity of women’s lives, Ethiopian painter Hana Yilma Godine literally makes her characters multi-dimensional, fashioning their images from oil and acrylic, magazines, newsprint, fabric and more.  This standout piece from her first New York solo show at Fridman Gallery features overlapping female figures who may represent the same figure at different points in life.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Nov 1st.  Masks and social distancing are required).

Hana Yilma Godine, Spaces Within Space (9), oil acrylic, charcoal and collage on canvas, 51 x 48 inches, 2019.

Emily Mae Smith, Head, Horizon World at Simone Subal

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Emily Mae Smith’s subversive broom-bodied character appears in close-up with a view of mice, wheat and a polluted environment reflected in her eyes in this highlight of the artist’s current show at Simone Subal Gallery.  Derived from Disney’s Fantasia, the broom appears poised to clean up the landscape she surveys, perhaps in aid of the mice and wheat, species who’ve been on the planet a long time.  Her crown of hair, composed of gingko leaves, points to the trees’ role in removing huge amounts of CO2 from urban environments.  (On view on the Lower East Side.  Masks and social distancing are required and appointments recommended.)

Emily Mae Smith, Head, Horizon World, oil on linen, 67 x 90 inches, 2020.

Cindy Sherman Photos at Metro Pictures

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It’s not hard to slip from male to female in Cindy Sherman’s reckoning.  A bit of makeup and a change of clothing, and the iconic photographer became both halves of jet-set couples who are the subjects of her latest body of work at Metro Pictures Gallery in Chelsea.  With exceptions, Sherman has shied away from portraying male figures in the past; her current characters embrace gender fluidity in colorful or opulent clothing from Stella McCartney’s archive.  Placing them against backgrounds that Sherman shot in Bavaria, Shanghai and, here, Sissinghurst Castle Garden in England, the artist tempts viewers to read the identities of these eccentric characters.  (On view through Oct 31st.  Masks and social distancing are required.)

Cindy Sherman, Untitled, dye sublimation print, 62 ½ x 91 ¼ inches (image, no frame), ed of 6, 1 AP, 2019.

Titus Kaphar at Gagosian Gallery

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Amid vibrantly colored décor from an earlier time period, two sisters hold children who have disappeared in Titus Kaphar’s ‘Not My Burden’ at Gagosian Gallery’s 21st Street space in Chelsea.  A much-anticipated follow-up to select paintings shown online when TIME commissioned a cover from Kaphar after George Floyd’s murder, the exhibition features work in which children have literally been cut out of the canvas, representing the anxiety and fear experienced by Black mothers. (On view through Dec 19th.  Appointments, masks, social distancing, contact info and a health questionnaire are required).

Titus Kaphar, Not My Burden, oil on canvas, 66 x 60 ¼ inches, 2019.

Brianna Rose Brooks in ‘Drawing 2020’ at Gladstone Gallery

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‘Don’t think too much about it,’ advises the title of this colored pencil drawing by young Yale MFA candidate Brianna Rose Brooks, but the awkward closeness and intimate immediacy of woman and butterfly is arresting.  Brooks’ two portraits are standouts in Gladstone Gallery’s blockbuster ‘Drawing 2020’ exhibition, which includes recent work by over 100 artists.   (On view in Chelsea.  Masks and social distancing are required and appointments are recommended.)

Brianna Rose Brooks, Don’t think about it too much, colored pencil on paper, 11 ½ x 8 inches, 2020.

Jean Dubuffet at Pace Gallery

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Gina Beavers at Marianne Boesky Gallery

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Gina Beavers’ tongue in cheek (or burger in eye) self-portrait at Chelsea’s Marianne Boesky Gallery pictures the artist literally becoming what she consumes online.  Inspired by the similarity of the images we look at via social media, be it enticing food or makeup tutorials, Beavers creates sculptural paintings that MoMA called ‘visceral, vexing, often grotesque…’ when she showed at the museum last year.  (On view through Oct 17th.   Masks and social distancing required and appointments recommended).

Gina Beavers, Self-Portrait with Burger Eye 2015, acrylic and linen on panel, 36 x 24 x 3 ½ inches, 2020.

Cheyenne Julien at Chapter NY

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Young Bronx-based painter Cheyenne Julien’s portrait of her father speaks powerfully to his love of music and his comfort in his own space.  Surrounded and transported by music, he appears to both meet his viewer’s gaze and look beyond and upwards.  A huge pink-toned foot at the painting’s foreground is boldly positioned, the rest of his body relaxed suggesting confident comfort.  (On view at Chapter NY on the Lower East Side through Oct 10th.  Masks and social distancing required and appointments recommended.)

Cheyenne Julien, Master of House, oil on canvas, 60 x 52 inches, 2020.

Gahee Park at Perrotin Gallery

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Lone insects, sharpened fingernails and portraits of impassive, semi-clad or nude characters lend young New York painter Gahee Park’s new paintings at Perrotin Gallery a sense of eerie calm and pervasive danger.  Innuendo ranges from the obvious to subtle, here appearing in two speared olives and the fishs’ pretty lips not to mention the long red nails pulling down the blinds.  A mini-cascade of eyes peers in past the shrimp-shaped nails to give the painting a surreal, voyeuristic charge.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Oct 17th).

Gahee Park, Seafood Dream, 24 x 25 inches, oil on canvas, 2020.

Michele Abeles, 1/1/19, 2:20PM at 47 Canal

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Known for adding paint, tile or other materials to the surface of her photographs, Michele Abeles shifts gears in her current show at 47 Canal, offering a surprisingly unmanipulated selection of images reflecting on macabre Halloween traditions.  Most of the show’s pictures of ghoulish lawn decorations come across as straightforward documentation of bizarre but unsurprising phenomenon.  A few images break through to another level, however, making an inflatable demon or a casually placed, dismembered body part freshly strange.  Here, natural materials on the ground contrast sharply with the glowing white paper skeleton, creating a jarring contrast that illuminates the artificiality of the bones.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Oct 3rd.  Appointments are encouraged and masks and social distancing are required.)

Michele Abeles, 11/1/19, 2:20PM, dye sublimation on aluminum, 31 x 21 ½ inches, 2020.

Ward Shelley and Douglas Paulson at Pierogi Gallery

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Boxes are stacked floor to ceiling and charts dominate a claustrophobic space introduced as ‘The Truth Workshop,’ an installation by artists Ward Shelley and Douglas Paulson at Pierogi Gallery.  The artists conceived this drably colored, overwhelmingly crowded room as the place where the secretive powers-that-be concoct what the public will believe to be truth.  Stacked boxes labeled ‘Fake News Homeruns,’ or ‘Classic Inside Jobs’ house the juicy details of manufactured truths while rows of books with titles like ‘Trashing the Planet’ offer instruction on nefarious activities.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Oct 11th. Appointments are not necessary.  Masks and social distancing are required.)

Ward Shelley and Douglas Paulson, installation view of ‘The Room Where it Happened,’ at Pierogi Gallery, Sept 2020.

Beverly Fishman at Miles McEnery Gallery

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The simple geometry, reflective surfaces and day-glo colors of Beverly Fishman’s new paintings at Miles McEnery Gallery are an immediate draw.  Despite the allure, however, they were inspired by shiny marketing techniques used by pharmaceutical companies and colors that signal warning.  Fishman’s abstraction, rooted in real world references and resembling portals nods to the various mental and physical states we pass through in life.  (On view in Chelsea through Oct 10th.  Appointments are not necessary but masks and social distancing are required.)

Beverly Fishman, Untitled (Pain, Diabetes, Depression, Depression, Depression), urethane paint on wood, 52 ½ x 100 ¼ x 2 inches, 2019.

Pieter Schoolwerth at Petzel Gallery

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Pieter Schoolwerth’s new paintings at Petzel Gallery question human identity in a time when our on-screen personas are more prevalent than ever.  Basing his images on screenshots of the life-simulation game The Sims 4, each digital avatar’s form is mingled with flat layers of grey surface and some have faces rendered in expressionist swirls of paint.  Here, young women take a selfie while a horrified woman in a space suit (full protective gear?) looks on.  The disorienting effect of paint vs inkjet print, vivid color vs drab grey and layers that have come unmoored from their source create a fascinating world of provisional realities.  (On view in Chelsea through Oct 31st. Masks and social distancing are required and gallery capacity is limited.  Visitors must give contact info.)

Pieter Schoolwerth, Shifted Sims #1 (Get Together) oil, acrylic, inkjet on canvas, 54 x 93 inches, 2020.

Alyson Shotz Installation at Derek Eller Gallery

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Alyson Shotz’s fascination with gravity, light, and other natural phenomenon continues in her current show of sculpture at Derek Eller Gallery. Textile-like sheets of electroplated metal disks hang from the ceiling, enticing visitors with their shiny iridescence.  Curling inward, they create shapes that resemble chrysalises while at the same time suggesting shed skin, another natural phenomenon signaling growth.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Oct 10th. Masks and social distancing are required and gallery capacity is limited.)

Alyson Shotz, installation view of Intricate Metamorphosis #1-6, plated carbon steel, various dimensions, 2020 in ‘The Small Clocks Run Wild’ at Derek Eller Gallery.

Os Gemeos at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

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Os Gemeos, the Brazilian brothers who’ve painted giant outdoor murals around the world, are back in town with an exhibition of typically fabulous paintings at Lehman Maupin Gallery.  Harkening back to the artists’ initiation into the world of street art, music and dance in the 80s, this painting actually functions as a boombox, streaming music through Bluetooth speakers.   (On view in Chelsea through Oct 31st.  Masks and social distancing are required and gallery capacity is limited.  Visitors must give contact info.)

Os Gemeos, Boombox Walking, mixed media with sequins on MDF with sound system composed of two 6 inhc JBL/Harman Triaxial 60W speakers, DC 12V input bivolt amplifier and source 12V 3A, 74.61 x 110.04 x 4.53 inches (framed), 2020.

Sonya Kelliher-Combs in ‘Ecofeminism(s)’ at Thomas Erben Gallery

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Last summer’s popular group show ‘Ecofeminism(s)’ at Thomas Erben Gallery, curated by Monika Fabijanska, has reopened after the summer break for another brief run.  Audiences can take in artworks by iconic artists who probe human relationships to nature and get another chance to check out Alaska-based Sonya Kelliher-Combs’ delicately crafted ‘Mark, Polar Bear,’ which veils the U.S. flag with polar bear fur. (On view in Chelsea through Sept 26th.  No appointment is necessary but visitor numbers are limited and masks are required.)

Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Mark, Polar Bear, acrylic polymer, polar bear fur, fabric flag, metal brackets, 40 x 65 inches, 2019.

Raul de Lara at Ethan Cohan Fine Art

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A cactus featuring a grinning mask greets visitors to Raul de Lara’s New York solo show debut at Chelsea’s Ethan Cohan Fine Art, but beneath the apparent levity are the hard realities of the artist’s migrant experience.  Though he employs humor to lift his audiences’ spirits, de Lara reveals the frustration and anxiety of life as DACA recipient in his autobiographical sculptures.  Surprising juxtapositions of forms, like this school desk studded with dangerous cactus needles, energize the work and, in this case, recall how the artist was hit on the hand by nuns at school who punished him for being left-handed.  De Lara gets the last laugh here by lodging a piece of gum under the desk, a mini act of rebellion.  (On view in Chelsea through Oct 17th by appointment.  Masks and social distancing are required.)


Raul de Lara, For Being Left-Handed, 2020, Pine, Chiclets Gum, Acrylic, Brass, Steel, Particle Board, 27 x 12 x 13 in.

Lawrence Weiner in front of the Whitney Museum

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The Whitney’s social distancing markers are more artful than most…or so it appears in front of the museum where conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner’s manhole cover aligns with the line to get in the museum.  Commissioned in 2000 by the Public Art Fund, the cover is one of many that were installed around Union Square, Washington Square Park and other downtown locations through early 2011.  Reading ‘In direct line with another and the next,’ the text relates to the city grid and its residents moving though urban spaces together, a theme never more relevant than now.

Elle Street Art at Hudson Yards

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Renowned and prolific international street artist Elle has transformed the 11th Ave approach to Hudson Yards with this 2,000 sq ft mural.  Hoping “to instill passion and hope and peace in the people who see it,” Elle pictures a mother and daughter looking forward into a brighter future.  (On view on 11th Ave in Hudson Yards through 2020).

Sarah Morris at 1285 Avenue of the Americas

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On your way to the newly reopened MoMA?  If it’s that or something else that takes you to mid-town Manhattan, be sure to check out Sarah Morris’ UBS Wall Painting in the UBS building on 6th Ave right around the corner from the museum.  Morris’ mural packs a punch from the sidewalk, towering over passersby and offering an abstracted image of the city grid (including this very building) that’s livelier and more colorful than the real version surrounding it.  (On view at 1285 Avenue of the Americas.)

Sarah Morris, UBS Wall Painting, household gloss paint on wall, 195.6 x 536 inches, 2001/2019.

Serena Stevens at Postmasters Gallery

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Now back in her native Iowa to complete an MFA, young painter Serena Stevens conveys contemplative quiet in new, large-scale paintings of domestic environments at Postmasters Gallery.  Cats abound, here, pictured in the panels of a cozy-looking quilt and as stuffed toys.  A pair of cast-off jeans on the bed suggest a quick change rather than an erotic interlude in a painting that explores the psychology of intimate spaces.  (On view in Tribeca through Sept 13th.  Appointments are not necessary, but masks and social distancing are required.)

Serena Stevens, Spare Bed, oil on canvas, 80 x 72 inches, 2020.

The Met reopens ‘Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara’

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New York Art Tours celebrates the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s reopening to the public today with a look at this Seated Male Figure from the museum’s current ‘Sahel:  Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara’ exhibition.  Fueled by global trade and transformed by the arrival of Islam, the region’s empires produced masterpieces like this terracotta figure whose identity is unknown.  (On view through Oct 26th.  View the Met’s new guidelines before visiting.)

Seated Male Figure, Middle Niger civilization, terracotta, Mali, 12th – 14th century.

Neri Oxman at the Museum of Modern Art

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New York Art Tours celebrates the Museum of Modern Art’s reopening to the public today with a closer look at a panel by Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT’s Media Lab Neri Oxman from her reopened exhibition, ‘Material Ecology.’ This wax and resin panel is the first piece visitors encounter in an exhibition that showcases materials and processes that collaborate with nature. The panel’s attractively undulating structure is determined by the need to transmit light and accommodate heat change.  (On view through Oct 18th.  View MoMA’s new guidelines before visiting.)

Neri Oxman, detail of Cartesian Wax, rigid polyurethane casting resin composite and machinable wax, 2007. Collaborators and contributors: Mikey Siegel; MIT Center for Bits and Atoms.

Sipros Sipros at Bushwick Collective

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New York galleries may have reopened in July and part of August, but most have now closed for an end-of-summer break before regrouping in early September.  New York’s street art is ready to step in for our daily viewing pleasure, however, as proven by Brazilian street-art star Sipros Sipros’ delicious mural.  Part of Bushwick Collective’s sprawling program in Bushwick, Brooklyn, this big-eared character (the artist’s signature) enjoys a sticky moment in donut-paradise.  (On view on Troutman Street between Cypress Ave and St Nicholas Ave).

Warren Isensee at Miles McEnery Gallery

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In a recent review, New York Times critic Robera Smith praised Warren Isensee’s new abstract paintings at Miles McEnery Gallery for having ‘taken a sharp turn for the better’ citing a new energy that almost transcends paint on canvas.  Isensee’s ‘Skin and Bones,’ pictured here, leaps off the wall, turning color and shape into subject matter and sending the viewer’s eye bouncing around the picture’s lively geometry. (On view in Chelsea through Aug 28th.  Appointments are not necessary but masks and social distancing are required.)

Warren Isensee, Skin & Bones, oil on canvas, 50 x 50 inches, 2020.

Nicole Wermers in ‘The Return of the Real’ at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

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London-based German artist Nicole Wermers juxtaposes an ashtray with four tiers of sorted sea-shells in this provocative piece from Tanya Bonakdar Gallery’s current summer group show.  Do the shells stand in for nature, dominated by human-produced toxins?  Or should the cigarettes signal rebellious freedom that might not be at odds with a shell-strewn shoreline?  Wermers leaves it up to us to sort through our associations in a piece that’s ripe for a variety of interpretation.  (On view Tues – Fri by appointment through August 28th.  Masks and social distancing required.)

Nicole Wermers, Untitled Ashtray (shells), powder coated steel, shells, sand, 40 1/8 x 23 5/8 x 23 5/8 inches, 2018.

Olafur Eliasson in ‘The Return of the Real’ at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

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Changing light and the effect of light on architecture are two recurring themes in Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson’s work and in his new sculpture ‘Return of the Arctic light sphere,’ on view in its own gallery at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in Chelsea.  A strong LED light inside the sphere passes through blue glass and Fresnel glass, a material once used in lighthouses to increase the intensity of light.  Walk around the suspended sphere and the shadows change constantly, creating mesmerizing effects and giving viewers pause to consider the complexities of the sculpture’s geometry.  (On view Tues – Fri by appointment through August 28th.  Masks and social distancing required.)

Olafur Eliasson, Return of the Arctic light sphere, stainless steel, colored glass (shades of blue), Fresnel glass, mirror, aluminum, paint (black), LED system, wire, 55 1/8 x 55 1/8 x 55 1/8 inches, 2020.

Grace Weaver, Confrontation at James Cohan Gallery

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New York painter Grace Weaver describes the sidewalk as a stage in a new body of paintings at James Cohan Gallery that showcases young people in awkward situations.  Falling down stairs, exchanging glances or crashing into each other on the street, Weaver’s characters self-consciously deal with what life serves up.  Here, Weaver humorously recreates a romantic meeting scene as two individuals round a corner and crash into each other.  Their immediate intimacy suggests that we know where this story is headed.  (On view Tues – Fri at James Cohan Gallery’s locations on the Lower East Side and in Tribeca by appointment through Sept 12th.  Masks and social distancing required.)

Grace Weaver, Confrontation, oil on canvas, 71 x 69 inches, 2020.

Matt Johnson in ‘Alien Landscape’ at 303 Gallery

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Humor and wonder meet in Matt Johnson’s sculptures, which appear to fantastically adapt unlikely materials.  Whether it’s a t-shirt rising up of its own accord with no wearer or a garden hose twisting in the air, Johnson’s bronze and metal creations initially fool the eye, then entertain.  A standout in 303 Gallery’s summer group show ‘Alien Landscape,’ this cast bronze alien cactus is a new take on space invasion.  (On view by appointment, Tues – Fri, through August 20th.  Masks and social distancing required.)

Matt Johnson, Alien Cactus, Cast bronze with oil paint, 18 1/2 x 12 x 5 3/4 inches, 2015.

Han Qin in ‘Blue’ at the Nassau County Museum of Art

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Created in Hangzhou, China last summer and now on display just outside of New York City at the Nassau County Museum of Art’s ‘Blue’ exhibition, Han Qin’s ‘The Direction of Migration’ was inspired by the artist’s own journeys between China and Long Island.  Using a cyanotype process that involves exposing treated paper to sunlight, Han Qin – a professional dancer who choreographed a dance to accompany this work – arranged emigrant friends in dance poses on the paper.  Ethereal and suggesting natural upward movement, the piece pictures hopeful journeys.  (On view through Nov 1st.  Tickets must be purchased in advance).

Han Qin, The Direction of Migration (Diptych), cyanotype on paper, 3307 x 94.5 cm, 2019.

Felipe Pantone at albertz benda

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Audience interaction is key to activating Spanish/Argentinian artist Felipe Pantone’s optically sizzling sculpture, so how will viewers engage his latest work?  Though Pantone’s current exhibition at Chelsea’s albertz benda gallery won’t involve touching the work (and is even titled ‘Contactless’), Pantone has created an online exhibition that allows manipulation of this patterned, pixelated grid and other sculptures in the show.  If not quite as satisfying as interacting with the art in person, the digital component is still a huge boost and worth checking out.  Visitors who are hooked can download Pantone’s interactive app @configurableart for more optical play.  (On view through August 28th.  Appointments are not necessary, masks are required and guests must sign a Covid release and submit contact info.)

Felipe Pantone, Chromadynamica Manipulable #7, UV paint on aluminum composite panel, 39 3/8 x 31 1/2 inches, 2020.

Erin O’Keefe in Group Show at Paul Kasmin Gallery

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New York photographer Erin O’Keefe’s beguiling photographs in Paul Kasmin Gallery’s summer group show are an immediate knockout for their bold color contrasts and rich, saturated hues.  They get more complex on close viewing – when viewers look at the top portion of this image, it’s unclear if we’re looking at a painting or a photo.  Lower down, where the sculpted wooden block meets the surface on which it’s resting, the dimensions of this photographed space become clear.  That this is a photo and not a painting or sculpture allows a delayed legibility that creates a provocative open-endedness to this image. (On view by appointment, Tues – Fri, through August 21st.  Masks and social distancing required.)

Erin O’Keefe, Red Twist, archival pigment print, 25 x 20 inches, 2020.

Florencia Escudero in ‘A Love Letter to a Nightmare’ at Petzel Gallery

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Under the rubric of ‘vamped Surrealism and Symbolism,’ Petzel Gallery’s summer group show considers contemporary artwork that channels the power of the subconscious.  At the gallery entrance, Florencia Escudero’s disembodied eyes and face greet visitors like a digital mirage.  Hand sewn and printed on satin and spandex, the sculpture’s material qualities are as evocative as the impossibly odd character herself. (On view in Chelsea Tuesday – Friday, 10am – 6pm through Aug 14th. Masks and social distancing are required.)

Florencia Escudero, Frog Licker, Hand-sewn, digitally-printed satin and silkscreened spandex, 3D-printed plastic, metal purse clasp, with hand-sewn velvet, foam, and spacer mesh base, and hand-sewn, digitally-printed satin, silkscreened spandex, foam, and spacer mesh parts, 6.5 x 13.5 x 5 inches, 2019.

Tony Cragg in ‘Spectrum’ at Lisson Gallery

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Conflict is at the heart of Tony Cragg’s 1983 sculpture ‘Spectrum,’ from which Lisson Gallery’s new summer show takes its title.  Beautiful in its variety of color and inspired by the natural phenomenon of the color spectrum, it was assembled from sea plastic found on the shore, a decidedly ugly and unnatural phenomenon.  Part of a series, this iteration spreads objects out on the floor like a carefully presented anthropological display that implicates throw-away culture.  (On view in Chelsea Mon-Thurs, 11am – 4pm through August 27th. Masks and social distancing are required and visitor numbers are limited to 10 at a time.)

Tony Cragg, Spectrum, plastic, 255 7/9 x 137 ¾ inches, 1983

Jeffrey Gibson at Socrates Sculpture Park

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Jeffrey Gibson’s enormous structure at Socrates Sculpture Park initiates the park’s new ‘Monuments Now’ project, a series of sculptures focusing on the current hot-button topic of public monuments and their representation of US history.  Inspired by the pre-Columbian Mississippian earthen structures of Cahokia and wheat-pasted with eye-popping posters in bright colors that celebrate a queer sensibility, Gibson’s ziggurat dominates the park with joyous pulsing patterns.  Texts on each side read, ‘Powerful because we are different’ and ‘Respect indigenous land,’ strong messages to read against the backdrop of Mannahatta, as Manhattan was known prior to the arrival of Europeans. (On view in Queens through March 2021).

Jeffrey Gibson, ‘Because Once You Enter My House It Becomes Our House,’ Plywood, posters, steel, LEDs, and performances, 44 × 44 × 21 ft, 2020.

Guo Fengyi at Gladstone Gallery

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Inspired by visions that came to her during her qigong practice, late Chinese artist Guo Fengyi created towering scrolls now on view in Gladstone Gallery’s 21st Street location.  The Drawing Center’s concurrent show of Guo Fengyi’s work has not reopened, but visitors can take in Gladstone Gallery’s handsome presentation in Chelsea.  Described by a 4 Columns critic as ‘like anthropomorphic burls in trunks of enchanted trees,’ each drawing depicts a mythical or spiritual character (from Santa Claus to Yamantaka) that emerges from or merges into dense swirls of drawn line.   (On view through Fall ’20.  Masks and social distancing are required.  Appointments are encouraged.)

Guo Fengyi, (detail of) Tang Dynasty Princess Wencheng, colored ink on rice paper, 157 ¾ x 27 ½ inches, 2004.

Katsu, Dot at The Hole NYC

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Seven blank white canvases, spray paint and drone technology have turned The Hole NYC into one huge painting by New York street artist and tech pioneer Katsu.  Partnering with Tsuru robotics in Moscow, Katsu has developed ways to write by drone and recently, to enable drones to create abstract paintings with programmed randomness.  (On view through August 23rd).

Katsu, installation view of ‘Dot’ at The Hole NYC, July 2020

Cosima von Bonin in ‘The Secret History of Everything’ at Galerie Perrotin

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“First of all, I never explain my work,” Cosima von Bonin declared at the beginning of a 2018 interview with Brooklyn Rail, establishing that there are no pat explanations for pieces like this octopus currently on view at Galerie Perrotin.  Patchwork fabrics and stuffing give the animal an approachable and familiar feel, like a kid’s toy, while the blue glow of neon tubes below may represent mysterious ocean depths. Beached on this platform, however, with patches of white suggesting splashed water, the animal doesn’t appear to be on safe ground, creating an attractive but uncertain scenario.  (On view in the group exhibition ‘The Secret History of Everything’ on the Lower East Side through Aug 14th . Masks and social distancing are required.  Appointments can be made via the gallery’s app.)

Cosima von Bonin, Total Produce (Morality), 2010, Octopus: Various fabrics, polyfill, Base: Various fabrics, foam materials, rubber, wood, neon tubes, Octopus: 86.6 x 86.6 x 23.6 inches

Leo Amino at David Zwirner Gallery

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Underappreciated despite showing at the Met and MoMA, the career of late 20th century cast resin pioneer and direct carving innovator Leo Amino is attracting new attention thanks to a handsome show at David Zwirner Gallery.  Fascinating as translucent objects, alluring for their bold colors, Amino’s block-like resin sculptures are a draw, along with a bird-like form crafted in wood and encased in resin and totemic carved wood forms.   (On view on 20th Street in Chelsea by appointment).

Leo Amino, Refractional #85, polyester resin, 13 x 13 x 13 inches, 1972.

Kyle Staver at Zurcher Gallery

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Beyond a circle of big cats, claws extended and mouths open, a dazzle of wide-eyed zebras sprint across the grass in this dramatic nature scene by New York painter Kyle Staver.  Now on view at Zurcher Gallery, Staver’s paintings continue to upend traditional European art historical iconography (Susanna’s pet tigers keep her safe from molesting Elders, for example).  Edward Hick’s folk art, harmony-between-creatures ideal ‘Peaceable Kingdom’ comes to mind with ‘Zebra Pass,’ but differs from that arcadia thanks to the menace of waiting predators.  (On view on the Lower East Side through July 24th).

Kyle Staver, Zebra Pass, oil on canvas, 70 x 52 inches, 2019.

Benjamin Degen, Rise at Susan Inglett Gallery

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A body melts and a blanket rises into colorful foothills in this painting celebrating the pleasures of the senses and the outdoors by Benjamin Degen at Susan Inglett Gallery.  In other works, bathers visit the beach at night to watch the moon while nature creates fabulous patterns in the movement of stars, rain and ocean water.  (On view by appointment in Chelsea through through July 24th).

Benjamin Degen, Rise, oil and spray enamel on canvas, 30 x 24 inches, 2019.

Catherine Opie at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

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The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is the largest national wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River, a draw for hundreds of thousands of visitors a year and an area of interest for mining companies.  The wetland recently drew iconic photographer Catherine Opie to shoot images now on view at Lehmann Maupin Gallery that expand her career-long exploration of US places and communities of people.  Threatened not just by limited environmental protections but also by climate change, the Swamp is counterpoint to the oft repeated notion of ‘draining the swamp’ from Opie’s perspective.  (On view in Chelsea through Sept 26th.  No appointment is necessary but social distancing and masks are required.)

Catherine Opie, detail of Untitled #1 (Swamps), pigment print, 40 x 60 inches, 2019.

Gary Simmons at Metro Pictures Gallery

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LA based artist Gary Simmons has returned to the subject of racist American pop culture imagery in a striking group of new paintings at the newly reopened Metro Pictures Gallery.  Here, in ‘Screaming into the Ether,’ 1920s & 30s Looney Tunes character Bosko loses his characteristic portly belly as he releases a full-bodied cry that dominates the gallery in this eight foot-tall canvas.  Partially erased by Simmons’ hand the figure nevertheless exerts a powerful presence.  (Open by appointment in Chelsea through Sept 19th).

Gary Simmons, Screaming Into The Ether, oil and cold wax on canvas, 96 ¼ x 72 ¼ inches, 2020.

Andrea Bowers in ‘Ecofeminism(s)’ at Thomas Erben Gallery

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‘Ecofeminism(s)’ at Thomas Erben Gallery, curated by Monika Fabijanska, is not only one of the first but one of the best shows recently opened to the public.  Featuring iconic projects like Helene Aylon’s ‘Earth Ambulance,’ for which she transformed a truck into an ambulance for earth picked up at military bases, mines and nuclear reactors, and Cecilia Vicuna’s delicate assemblages of natural objects that convey fragility and connectedness, the exhibition presents important projects from the 70s and 80s alongside more recent work.  Here, Andrea Bowers extends the continuum to the present and adds a note of urgency by flashing the word ‘real’ on and off in this neon sign. (On view in Chelsea through July.  No appointment is necessary but visitors numbers are limited and masks are required.

Andrea Bowers, Climate Change is Real (Multiple), neon, MDO, paint, 20 ¾ x 57 inches, ed of 3 with 2 Aps, 2017.

 

Loie Hollowell at pacegallery.com

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Loie Hollowell’s abstracted portraits made during and after her first pregnancy inspired the curving organic forms showcased in her Fall ’19 show at Pace Gallery and pictured here.  Recent drawings now on view in an on-line show at pacegallery.com “…convey the uneven roundness of my body,” explains the artist.  Created around the time of her recent second pregnancy during quarantine this spring, the new work follows the changes of her morphing body and the bond between infant and mother.  (On view through July 14th).

Loie Hollowell, Postpartum Plumb Line, oil paint, acrylic medium, sawdust and high density foam on linen mounted on panel, 72 x 54 x 3.5 inches, 2019.

Leidy Churchman at Matthew Marks Gallery

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The “…in-between between everything” is New York-based painter Leidy Churchman’s focus in paintings once again on view at Chelsea’s reopened Matthew Marks Gallery.  Developed from Churchman’s own spiritual study and their concept of trans experience as inbetweenness, the new work features images that invite multiple interpretation, as in ‘Karma Kagyu & Essex Street,’ a vibrantly colored temple scene made transcendent by a screen of dots resembling snow or flashing light.  (On view through July 31st).

Leidy Churchman, Karma Kagyu & Essex Street (Yellow Studio)(Devotion), oil on linen, 79 x 102 inches, 2020.

Omar Rodriguez-Graham at Marc Straus Gallery

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Shape and color appear to explode from Omar Rodriguez-Graham’s paintings, once again on view at newly reopened Marc Straus Gallery on the Lower East Side.  Based on Renaissance or Baroque paintings by artists from Tiepolo to Ricci which the artist turns into digital abstract compositions then paints on canvas attached to shaped supports, the artist marries historical work with a distinctly contemporary sense of energy and movement.  (On view through July 31st).

Omar Rodriguez-Graham, La Anciana de las 3 Navajas, oil and acrylic on linen mounted on panel, 78.7 x 72.8 inches, 2020.

Isa Genzken’s Rose III at Zuccotti Park

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Berlin-based sculptor Isa Genzken loves New York.  Years ago, she visited the city as a teen and has returned regularly, expanding her interest in the interrelation between buildings and other aspects of the urban fabric.  Versions of her 26-foot-tall rose, a token of love, debuted on the façade of the New Museum and dominates MoMA’s currently closed sculpture garden.  This iteration, installed permanently on the corner of Zuccotti Park and Trinity Place, winkingly adds ornament to the stripped-down modernist buildings in the area while continuing to express affection for the city on still-quiet downtown streets.

Isa Genzken, Rose III, aluminum, galvanized steel, lacquer, 2016.

Art 2 Heart mural project in SoHo

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Aiming to send messages of “optimism, healing and love” the Art 2 Heart’s SoHo mural project has transformed SoHo’s boarded up storefronts.  Here, on the corner of Spring and Greene Streets on panels over the John Varvatos store windows, artists remember those who’ve lost their lives to police violence and insist that Black lives matter. (On view until businesses reopen).

Jeppe Hein at LaGuardia Airport

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Last weekend’s biggest art opening didn’t take place in a gallery (they’re mostly still closed) but at LaGuardia Airport, where four artists including Danish artist Jeppe Hein have installed new work as shiny as Hein’s work at 303 Gallery last September (pictured here).  Featuring steel balloons affixed to the ceiling and curvy benches designed to encourage  conversation, Hein’s new installation strikes a celebratory mood that’s a little out of step with current concerns about flying during the pandemic but a worthy gesture of hopefulness for the future.

Jeppe Hein, Intersecting Circles, high polished stainless steel, 87 3/8 x 85 x 70 inches, 2019.

Ann Agee at ppowgallery.com

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Bathrooms and all their bodily associations inspired this unforgettable life-sized porcelain and stoneware sculpture by Ann Agee.  Another less private domestic object – folk art salt cellars from Florence, Italy – prompted the ceramic sculpture in the artist’s current online exhibition at ppowgallery.com.  Merging the functional with the devotional, each artwork features a Madonna and child-like pairing but with a twist – the youngsters are girls. (Online at PPOW Gallery through June 27th).

Ann Agee, Lake Michigan Bathroom (II), porcelain and stoneware, 98 ¾ x 121 ½ x 22 inches, 2014.

Felix Gonzalez-Torres at locations around the world

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This pile of foil-wrapped candy by late artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres pays homage to a sheet of gold – an artwork by Roni Horn that gave Gonzalez-Torres and his dying partner hope.  Intended to be taken by individual visitors, Gonzalez-Torres’ free sweets are a gesture of generosity and an expression both of pleasure and of loss as the pile of candies gradually dwindles.  Similarly, his ‘Untitled’ (Fortune Cookie Corner) from 1990 offers participants a positive message in the form of a fortune cookie, piles of which are currently installed from Buenos Aires to Beijing in hundreds of places, from parks to public kitchens, outside of museums and stores and in private homes.  Initiated by Andrea Rosen Gallery & David Zwirner Gallery, the New York Times suggests that the project “addresses the grief of today’s pandemic – just as it did the AIDS crisis.”  (On view through July 5th.)

Felix Gonzalez-Torres, installation view of “Untitled” (Placebo-Landscape – for Roni), candies individually wrapped in gold cellophane, endless supply, overall dimensions vary with installation, ideal weight: 1,200 lbs, Sammlung Hoffmann, Berlin, 1993.

Magdalena Suarez Frimkess at kaufmannrepetto.com

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Though Minnie Mouse and other comic icons are a recurring subject for Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, they’re new every time she makes them.  This is apparent in this sculpture of Minnie holding a Prada bag and cocking her head thoughtfully to the side from Suarez Frimkess’ 2017 show at Kaufmann Repetto.  The gallery’s current on-line show of Suarez Frimkess’ features insights from the artist, more Minnies and diverse work that draws on art historical sources from Egyptian sculpture to pre-Columbian art.

Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, Untitled, ceramic, glaze, 8.25 x 4 x 3 inches, 2016.

Ai Wei Wei’s ‘Heaven and Earth’ at lissongallery.com

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Arrested and held by the police for 81 days in Beijing in 2011, politically outspoken artist Ai Wei Wei was eventually accused of tax evasion, charges which he fought in court.  Lisson Gallery is currently showcasing one of the several artistic responses Ai Wei Wei has made since, a nearly 7-hour long Henan Opera that recreates the court proceedings in language, “…couched in complex, obfuscating legalese and riven with dead ends.” (Lisson Gallery).  Pictured here is an image from New York Art Tours’ archive of Ai Wei Wei’s first artwork in response to his detention, an installation recreating scenes from his prison life that was on view at the Brooklyn Museum in 2014. (‘Heaven and Earth’ is on view at lissongallery.com through June 15th).

S.A.C.R.E.D., six dioramas in oxidized metal, wood, fiberglass, polystyrene and sticky tape, 2013.

Charles White’s 1945 mural @michaelrosenfeldart.com

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Strong, capable and key to the nation’s economy, this female figure was a highlight of Charles White’s 2018-19 MoMA retrospective.  Now, Michael Rosenfeld Gallery is spotlighting a mural study by White, created for the International Workers Order interracial, co-ed kids summer camp in NJ where White oversaw the art program in the summer of 1945.  An accompanying text highlights this White’s politics and digs into the mural’s complex iconography, which melds west African and Buddhist references with influence from Mexican mural painting tradition.

Charles White, Our Land, egg tempera on panel, 1951.

Toyin Ojih Odutola at jackshainman.com

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Behind Toyin Ojih Odutola’s portrait-like drawings (including this 2017 artwork from New York Art Tours archives) are fictional narratives, hinted at through the images but not detailed in words.  Her latest body of work opens on-line this week at Jack Shainman Gallery as protesters around the world demand respect for black lives and justice for George Floyd and others killed by police.  Ojih Odutola’s new work continues to picture the complexity of black subjectivity in an uncharacteristic pairing of images and texts in which, as the artist puts it, “exactitude is elusive.”  Instead, meaning comes from the gap between pictures and words, a place that prompts viewers to consider how their expectations inform interpretation.

Toyin Ojih Odutola, Manifesto, charcoal, pastel and pencil on paper, 18 ¾ x 23 ¾ inches, 2017.

Rochelle Feinstein at Sperone Westwater

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Aimed at an artist, the phrase ‘Love Your Work’ can be sincere or suspect.  This unforgettable 1999 fresco by Rochelle Feinstein brilliantly isolates the phrase below an envy-green field of paint.  Color takes center stage in Feinstein’s latest body of work, now on view online in Sperone Westwater’s viewing room.  Inspired by a photo she took in Rome of a double rainbow, the recent work foregrounds the color spectrum and the mutability of art. (Online through June 25th).

Rochelle Feinstein, Love Your Work (detail), fresco, 1999.

Guido van der Werve at Luhring Augustine, Monitor & GRIMM Galleries

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One of Dutch artist Guido van der Werve’s best known performances involved walking just 16 yards in front of an ice breaking ship in the Baltic sea, an example of the physical punishment and risk he’s willing to endure for his art.  Now for a new on-line exhibition, Luhring Augustine Gallery, GRIMM Gallery and Monitor Gallery are teaming up to present still photographs from the artist’s mind-bending 2012 performance ‘Nummer Veertien, home,’ for which he swam, biked and ran 1,200 miles across Europe.  Van der Werve’s journey began at the location of Chopin’s interred heart (Warsaw) and ended at the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris where the rest of the composer’s body is buried.  In Paris, the artist delivered a small container of soil from outside Chopin’s childhood home, connecting the two places and creating a profound link between his own history and that of his favorite composer.  (On view through June 19th).

Guido Van Der Werve, Nummer acht, Everything is going to be alright, 16mm to HD, 10 minutes, 10 seconds, 2007.

Ajay Kurian in ‘Inventory’

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The U.S. flag becomes a symbol not just of the nation, but of the country’s continuous transformation in Ajay Kurian’s abstracted, epoxy rendition.  Peeling, scale-like segments suggest old skin giving way to new in brilliant color.  A similar piece from Kurian’s 2018 exhibition at 47 Canal is now showcased on ‘Inventory,’ a new platform organized by artist Darren Bader to present artwork that might otherwise languish in gallery storage while galleries are closed.

Ajay Kurian, Flag (foot print), epoxy clay, spray paint, wood, plasti-dip spray, 34 ¼ x 65 inches, 2018.

Njideka Akunyili Crosby in ‘Side by Side’

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Known for portrait-like works created with a range of materials and techniques from paint to photo transfer (like the image pictured here from a ’19 exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery), Njideka Akunyili Crosby recently simplified her procedure in paintings presented at last summer’s Venice Biennial.  Two of these are highlights of ‘Side By Side,’ a new on-line collaboration between David Zwirner Gallery and Victoria Miro Gallery for which the two galleries are presenting works via 3-D renderings by VortecXR.  Specifically addressing how to see artwork without being present in front of it, Side By Side showcases technology as much as the art, both of which are worth a look.

Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Nyado: The Thing Around Her Neck, acrylic, photographic transfers, color pencil, charcoal and collage on paper, 81 ½ x 81 ¾ inches, 2011.

Liz Luisada in ‘Klaus on Paper’ at klausgallery.cloud

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‘Klaus on Paper,’ a concisely curated, attractively presented five-artist exhibition of paintings and drawings on paper by Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery stands out among the   many new on-line outlets for art.  Liz Luisada’s contributions continue to consider the importance of grids and webs; in this painting from her summer ’18 solo show at the gallery, Luisada suggests that human activity creates and causes movement in each system.

Liz Luisada, communing, watercolor on paper, 27 ¾ x 27 ¾ inches, 2018.

Olafur Eliasson with Acute Art

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Is your garden too dry or your day too sunny?  Olafur Eliasson offers a solution in ‘Wunderkammer,’ a selection of augmented reality artwork available for download that includes a placeable raincloud complete with the sound of pattering raindrops.  A puffin, a rainbow, a ladybug and more join the cloud as part a recent project launched by the newly high profile AR Art platform Acute Art to allow participants to create their own ‘cabinet of curiosities.’

Olafur Eliasson’s cloud in ‘Wunderkammer’ with Acute Art.

Nigel Cooke at pacegallery.com

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After presenting paintings of lone figures at Pace Gallery’s new 25th Street headquarters in February of this year (a highlight of which is pictured here), British painter Nigel Cooke is back at pacegallery.com with new characters made while working in isolation.  Working at night has created an even more solitary environment for the artist from which he’s tried to capture how ‘perceptions are always changing when things are uncertain.’  Collectively titled ‘Midnights,’ each new work carries titles like ‘Shore,’ ‘Waiting’ or ‘Islands,’ that speak to the idea of a figure looking out to sea. (On view at pacegallery.com through June 2nd).

Nigel Cooke, Actaeon, oil and acrylic on linen, 88 9/16 x 64 9/16 inches, 2019.

Sara Ludy with Bitforms at Future Fair

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Sara Ludy’s artwork connects to both virtual and physical worlds manifesting as actual objects inspired by a VR dream house; here, in pieces from 2018, the artist combined glass and copper to create sculptural environments for imagined birds.  Ludy’s ability to create compelling work in digital and physical media makes her an ideal artist for her gallery, Bitforms, to showcase in the inaugural Future Fair, currently operating on-line due to the pandemic.  Check out her latest images, attractive abstractions which appear simultaneously organic and highly manipulated, intimate yet without reference to scale. (On view in the Future Fair through June 6th).

Sara Ludy, Nest 1 and Nest 2, both Waken Glass; copper mesh and glass, 4 x 8 x 7 inches & 2.5 x 5 x 4.75 inches, both 2018.

Emily Mae Smith in ‘Second Smile’ at theholenyc.com

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Installed in late April though the show will likely never be seen in person by the public, The Hole NYC’s exhibition ‘Second Smile’ asks how Surrealism continues to surface in contemporary painting.  The show includes work by Emily Mae Smith, whose painting of two candles in a clandestine nighttime meeting was a memorable part of her show at Simone Subal Gallery in 2017.  (On view at The Hole NYC through May 24th).

Emily Mae Smith, The Caress, oil on linen, 48 x 38 inches, 2017.

Titus Kaphar at gagosian.com

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Titus Kaphar’s latest paintings, the subject of a special Artist Spotlight at Gagosian Gallery, take a dramatic turn for the colorful as they continue to explore historical representations of people of African descent.  This standout from Kaphar’s 2015 show at Jack Shainman Gallery takes art historical representation as its subject by exposing two figures whose relationship would remain hidden without a revealing cut.  Kaphar’s new subjects – women in charge of children who have been cut out of the canvas – exist in charged landscapes that are “…a reflection of an emotional and psychological space.”

Titus Kaphar, Falling from the Gaze, oil on canvas, 48 ¼ x 37 ¾ x 1 ½ in, 2014.

Sam Falls at 303gallery.com

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Sam Falls records a direct experience of nature by allowing the elements to interact with the plant material and pigment he places on canvas and leaves outdoors.   His beautifully presented on-line exhibition at 303gallery.com includes photos that elaborate on his process and his ceramic practice, which includes a series of intricate ceramic tile archways on the High Line featuring designs every bit as enticing as the lush foliage surrounding them.  (On view in 303 Gallery’s on-line viewing room through May 15th).

Sam Falls, detail of Untitled (Conception), pigment on canvas, 7ft, 6 in x 41ft, 2018.

Carol Bove at davidzwirner.com

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Fashion, art history and the relationship between works in an exhibition drive the color choices that make Carol Bove’s hybrid sculptures stand out.  Sharp contrasts between aged, found steel and the smooth geometries of urethane-covered forms give pause to consider the relationships between two familiar yet seemingly mismatched materials.  This piece (seen in detail) from the artist’s last major Chelsea solo show at David Zwirner Gallery in ‘16 juxtaposes found steel with urethane-covered steel to create a wonderfully misleading suggestion of pliability.  When a sculpture’s color can make it appear to have a digital effect, Bove’s at her happiest.  She explains this and more on davidzwirner.com where a new on-line exhibition showcases select new works.

Carol Bove, (detail of) Daphne and Apollo, found steel, stainless steel, and urethane paint, 98 x 72 x 61 inches, 2016.

Broomberg & Chanarin at signsandsymbols.art

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London and Berlin-based artists and photography professors Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin’s short film, ‘The Bureaucracy of Angels’ grabs the imagination immediately with an unlikely casting choice; the star of the show – a mechanical wrecking arm – makes a riveting appearance as a soulful ballad singer lamenting the pain of migration.  Currently available to watch via the Lower East Side gallery Signs & Symbols’ website, the piece’s premise is absurd but the effect is first mesmerizing, then moving.  Part destroyer, part guardian, the machine keeps watch over migrants being intercepted by rescue agencies before eventually wrecking boats abandoned by travelers who made it to Sicily.  (Available online at signsandsymbols.art through May 13th).

Broomberg & Chanarin, still from ‘The Bureaucracy of Angels,’ 2017.

Rebecca Morgan in ‘Amuse-Bouche’ at asyageisberg.com

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Rebecca Morgan’s skewering of elitist urban attitudes towards rural Americans has shifted towards the grotesque in recent years.  You wouldn’t guess this to judge by this highlight of Morgan’s 2014 show from New York Art Tours archive, a sensitive portrayal of the artist wrapped in her ‘depression blanket.’  Audacious and merciless as ever, Morgan’s latest work at Asya Geisberg Gallery is part of a group exhibition of work priced under $3k; her young woman in a face mask is a highlight of the presentation.

Rebecca Morgan, Depression Blanket, oil and graphite on panel, 28” x 22,” 2014.

Hilary Pecis in ‘Dwelling is the Light’ at timothytaylor.com

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West coast light and the pleasures of color define Hilary Pecis’ recent work at Rachel Uffner Gallery and Timothy Taylor Gallery’s current on-line show ‘Dwelling is the Light.’  Working from a photo archive that includes the homes of friends and family, Pecis creates vibrant portraits that leave out actual individuals but make you wish you could meet the characters who’ve created such sunny environments.  (On view at timothytaylor.com through May 15th).

Hilary Pecis, Morning, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 40 inches, 2019.

Meriem Bennani 2 Lizards and Siham & Hafida

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Two Moroccan women navigate the changing face of traditional Aita music in Meriem Bennani’s mesmerizing video ‘Siham & Hafida’ from ’17, seen here at The Kitchen in a photo from New York Art Tours’ archive.  Two quite different characters – a pair of lizards in Brooklyn – navigate a separate set of challenges in Bennani’s new video series, launched with filmmaker friend Orian Barki in mid-March as a break from COVID-19 mandated isolation.  Entertaining and short, the videos speak to the surreal quality of life during the pandemic. (Episode One.  Episode Two).

Meriem Bennani, still from the video installation Siham & Hafida, The Kitchen, 2017.

Tuan Andrew Nguyen at jamescohan.com

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The centerpiece of Tuan Andrew Nguyen’s current on-line show at James Cohan Gallery is  ‘The Boat People,’ a video about a heroic group of survivor children who’ve become the last humans alive.  They parade through their lonely world carrying wooden artifacts (sculpture hand crafted in Bataan, Philippines) that speak to war and migration pre-apocalypse.  The Bodhisattva Guanyin reappears throughout the exhibition (here making a benevolent gesture), repeatedly orienting the narrative toward compassion.  In a must-see video, Nguyen explains that the dark, burned areas on the wood point to fire as ‘a strong metaphor for freedom and liberation, both spiritual and political.’ (On view through May 3rd).

Tuan Andrew Nguyen, The Offering Of A Sentient Cry (detail – right hand only), hand-carved gmelina wood, 26.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches, 2019.

Rebecca Morris at bortolamigallery.com

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Exhibition walkthroughs and artist interviews have abounded since the pandemic cut off access to physical gallery spaces, but few videos have been as engaging and personal as Rebecca Morris’ recent Q & As with painter friends at bortolamigallery.com.  The untitled work here from New York Art Tours’ archive (May ’16) prefigures the silver and gold paint and the play between organic and inorganic shapes prominent in her show installed through June at Bortolami Gallery in Tribeca.

Rebecca Morris, Untitled (#02-16), oil and spray paint on canvas, 48 x 48 inches, 2016.

Curtis Talwst Santiago at The Drawing Center

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Canadian-Trinidadian artist Curtis Talwst Santiago’s invented ancestors are conduits to an inaccessible past, allowing him to imagine the lives of those who came before him.  The fabulously beaded Jab Jab Knight seen here breaks through a wall of netting and stone to dominate Santiago’s recent show at Rachel Uffner Gallery; at the Drawing Center where the artist’s drawings and installations are now on view on-line, Santiago walks visitors through the show, introducing his knights and inspiring consideration of ‘genetic imagination.’

Curtis Talwst Santiago, The Jab Jab Knight, wire and beads, 82 x 24 x 24 inches, 2020.