Ian Mwesiga at FLAG Art Foundation

Forest mist and a pool’s smooth surface mirror each other in color and tranquility in Ian Mwesiga’s intriguing painting ‘Man and His Shadow’ at the FLAG Art Foundation, but the scene isn’t as peaceful as it first appears.  The work is a standout in the Kampala-based artist’s first New York solo show and one of several that feature pools of water as troubled places.  In one painting, a woman glides underwater while a friend acts as lookout under a ‘no swimming’ sign; in another piece, a corporate logo dominates the scene.  Here, the water looks least inviting for a dip, as fallen leaves indicate a change of season that might bring a chill to the air.  Standing between two cracked columns that suggest ruins and leaning on a more solid-looking, modern wall, a young man in swim trunks peels off a sock.  Apparently the sole agent who can decide how this scenario moves forward, viewers look to him, anticipating what will happen next.  (On view in Chelsea through May 4th).

Ian Mwesiga, Man and His Shadow, oil on canvas, 70 7/8 x 59 inches, 2023.

Mary Carlson at Kerry Schuss Gallery

Modeled after El Greco’s ‘The Penitent Mary Magdalene,’ Mary Carlson’s small-scale sculpture of one of Christ’s most devoted followers is both delicate in her tiny features and monumental in her seated, robed body. Now on view at Kerry Schuss Gallery, displayed on wall-mounted wooden shelves amid scrolling copper piping, Carlson’s new sculptures evoke the figures and decorative designs on the pages of medieval manuscripts.  Characterized by world-weariness vs El Greco’s doe-eyed young woman, Carlson’s saint is pictured in the process of receiving a revelation and puts a hand to her bare chest.  Less erotic than El Greco’s version, Carlson’s Mary is a substantial woman engaged with the life of the mind and spirit.  (On view in Tribeca through April 27th).

Mary Carlson, Mary Magdalene (after El Greco), glazed porcelain, wood, copper, 29 x 36 x 8.75 inches, 2024.
Mary Carlson, Mary Magdalene (after El Greco), glazed porcelain, wood, copper, 29 x 36 x 8.75 inches, 2024.

Dabin Ahn at 1969 Gallery

Inspired by traditional Korean ceramics, Chicago-based artist Dabin Ahn’s new paintings at 1969 Gallery combine art historical references with a feeling of wonder and whimsy.  Painted like an apparition, the top section of this vessel hovers in lighter tones above the more solid-looking segment below.  Perhaps once part of the decoration, the birds’ white wings continue the contour of the vase while they appear to cavort in mid-air.  Materializing as if from memory or history, the vase may be broken, but its magical quality remains.  (On view in Tribeca through April 20th).

Dabin Ahn, Phantom, 18h x 17w inches, oil on linen, 2024.

Maria Calandra at Fredericks & Freiser Gallery

Red-orange skies appear to be ablaze in Maria Calandra’s landscape painting of Weir Island in Maine while her blue skies over Como, Italy are a tranquil color but feature roiling clouds.  Apocalyptic in their color and Mannerist in their elongated forms, Calandra’s paintings at Fredericks & Freiser Gallery are hallucinogenic visions that offer visual pleasure via their dynamic fluidity.  Here, Mont Sainte-Victoire, made famous by Paul Cezanne’s many images of the mountain near Aix-en-Provence, rises above a field of flowers and greenery that appears to be flowing up the mountain.  (On view in Chelsea through April 13th.)

Maria Calandra, Mont Sainte-Victoire, acrylic on linen, 2023.

Oliver Beer at Almine Rech Gallery

Inspired by 17th century German scholar Athanasius Kircher’s cat organ, which elicited sounds made by cats, British artist Oliver Beer created ‘Cat Orchestra,’ a musical instrument crafted from 37 found objects in the form of hollow cat vessels.  Now on view at Almine Rech Gallery’s Tribeca space, the piece’s sound is activated by a keyboard that turns on microphones in each vessel to produce resonances that together form an ethereal musical performance.   Motivated to find music where it’s least expected, Beer awakens viewers to possibilities everywhere.  (On view through April 27th).

Oliver Beer, installation view of Cat Orchestra, 37 hollow cat vessels and sculptures, plinths, microphones, speakers, audio equipment, dimensions variable, 2024.