Penelope Umbrico at Bruce Silverstein Gallery

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Penelope Umbrico continues to mine Flickr’s vast on-line archive of images for collage-like assemblages that gently and beautifully point out the homogeneity of our camera-driven visual culture. Her latest show – and first at Chelsea’s Bruce Silverstein Gallery – zeros in on photos that have been copyrighted by amateur photographers against the back wall. In the foreground, screen shots of images tagged ‘full moon’ run on a scroll on and on along the gallery floor. (Through Feb 20th).

Installation view of ‘Penelope Umbrico: Silvery Light,’ at Bruce Silverstein Gallery, January 2016.

Jennifer Packer at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

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An Artforum critic recently identified a central quality of young New York painter Jennifer Packer’s style by explaining that her paintings capture a ‘state of perpetual becoming.’ In this painting dedicated to the artist’s late college painting instructor, flowers emerge explosively from a shadowy yet brilliant mass, existing as suggestions of color and form. (At Chelsea’s Sikkema Jenkins & Co through Jan 23rd).

Jennifer Packer, Breathing Room, Flowers for Frank Bramblett, oil on canvas, 48 x 29 inches, 2015.

Andy Warhol in ‘Pearlstein/Warhol/Cantor’ at Betty Cunningham

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Sixteen years before his solo debut at LA’s Ferus Gallery, Andy Warhol was just another art student at Carnegie Tech. Here, the whimsical character, if not the elegantly wavering line of his later commercial illustrations is prefigured in a student assignment from 1946. (At Betty Cunningham Gallery on the Lower East Side through Feb 13th).

Andy Warhol, Kids on Swings, tempera on board, 31 x 26 7/8 inches, 1946.

Zhang Hongtu at the Queens Museum of Art

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Chinese landscape painting meets Monet’s haystacks in clever cultural hybrids by Queens-based Chinese artist Zhang Hongtu at the Queens Museum. (Through Feb 28th).

Zhang Hongtu, Monet, Study of Pi Ma Ts’un and Jie So Ts’un, oil on canvas, 2007.

Erik Parker Paintings at Paul Kasmin Gallery

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Conveyor belts of alien-like creatures, tropical landscapes in day-glo colors, and a high-wire act define the turbulent interior life of this person by New York artist Erik Parker. A silhouette of a lone shepherd towards the bottom of the painting remains like a suppressed hope for simpler times. (At Paul Kasmin Gallery’s 297 Tenth Ave space through Jan 23rd).

Erik Parker, Tastemaker, acrylic on canvas, 90 x 80 inches, 2015.

Juan Fontanive at Danese Corey Gallery

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New York artist Juan Fontanive conjures the delightful flickering motion of butterflies and hummingbirds in motorized frames that act as flipbooks for 72 screen printed images at Chelsea’s Danese Corey. (Through Feb 6th).

Juan Fontanive, Ornithology P, four-color screen print on Bristol paper, stainless steel, motor and electronics, 5 x 4.25 x 3/75 inches, 2014.

Pat O’Neill at Mitchell-Innes & Nash Gallery

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LA-based experimental film maker Pat O’Neill’s first New York solo gallery show includes film and sculptures like this surreal, suggestive assemblage. (At Chelsea’s Mitchell-Innes & Nash through Jan 23rd).

Pat O’Neill, Safer than Springtime, fiberglass, aluminum, steel, paint, 48 x 39 x 30 inches, 1964.

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov at Pace Gallery

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Ilya and Emilia Kabakov’s new paintings include several that look like illustrations from a children’s storybook (recalling Ilya Kabakov’s former profession as an illustrator when he lived in the Soviet Union). Here, circular patterns layered over this painting’s surface look like snow, obscuring the cheery scenes beneath and suggesting a gradually advancing loss of sight. (At Chelsea’s Pace Gallery through Jan 23rd).

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, The Six Paintings about the Temporary Loss of Eyesight (In the Room), oil on canvas, 44 x 77 inches, 2015.

Bill Viola at James Cohan Gallery

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Bill Viola explores his signature themes of rebirth, endurance and physical/spiritual transformation in ‘Inverted Birth,’ a large-scale video at Chelsea’s James Cohan Gallery. Here, black, red, white and clear liquids, perhaps symbolizing elemental materials of earth, blood, milk and water, pour away from the subject (as the video runs backwards) suggesting a reversal of time. (Through Jan 30th).

Bill Viola, installation view of ‘Inverted Birth’ at James Cohan Gallery, through Jan 30th.

Rachel de Joode in ‘Not a Photo’ at The Hole NYC

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Dutch artist Rachel de Joode creates a striking optical illusion at The Hole NYC with two flat photographic images mounted to PVC that momentarily appear to be 3-D. Part of The Hole’s excellent exhibition of art indebted to photographic processes, de Joode’s images of man-handled clay exist in a dimension of their own. (On the Lower East Side through Jan 16th).

Rachel de Joode, ‘Here I am and things that exist. Ow! XIV (foreground), archival inkjet print on PVC with pedestal, 60 x 34 x 14 inches, 2015.

Greg Smith in ‘I Am a Lie and I am Gold’ at Yossi Milo Gallery

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Greg Smith’s handmade camera, crafted from linoleum, canvas,
digital camera parts and more is a standout in Yossi Milo Gallery’s exhibition
of camera related art.  Mixing the
haphazard with digital know-how and a craft-oriented look, this tool is one of
a kind.  (In Chelsea through Jan 23rd).

Greg Smith, Linoleum Camera, linoleum, canvas, gesso,
thread, paper, graphite, pushpin, lens, copper, epoxy, digital camera parts,
wood, hardware, 2014.

 

Toyin Ojih Odutola at Jack Shainman

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Nigerian American artist Toyin Ojih Odutola’s meticulous, patterned rendering of human skin both attracts admiration and repels understanding of her subjects. In her latest show at Chelsea’s Jack Shainman Gallery, Odutola blocks an easy read on a wall of celebrity portraits by darkening the skin of Caucasian subjects. Here, she treats the skin of two nudes as a decorative surface for a dappled pattern of light and dark color. (Through January 30th).

Toyin Ojih Odutola, Quality Control, marker and pencil on paper, 64 ¾ x 41 15/16 inches, 2015.

Yoko Ono at Andrea Rosen Gallery and Galerie Lelong

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Don’t be surprised if the smell of coffee and the sound of breaking ceramics greet you on a visit to Yoko Ono’s two-gallery show at Chelsea’s Andrea Rosen Gallery and Galerie Lelong. The artist entices audience participation with free coffee and abundant materials. ‘Mend Piece’ suggests that fixing crockery will ‘mend the earth at the same time.’ (In Chelsea through Jan 23rd).

Yoko Ono, Mend Piece (Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, 2015/2016), ceramic, glue, tape, scissors and twine, dimensions variable, 1966/2015.

Asdzaa Nadleehe at Andrea Rosen Gallery

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A velociraptor and protoceratops replica skeleton watch over an exhibition at Andrea Rosen Gallery of thought-provoking objects dedicated to the idea of perpetual adaptation and change. On the floor, Anne De Vries pictures crowds on odd-shaped, organic forms.   To the right, Tetsumi Kudo’s plastic and polyester flower, references growth post-nuclear contamination. (In Chelsea through January 23rd).

Installation view of Asdzaa Nadleehe at Andrea Rosen Gallery, December 2015.


Tschabalala Self in Berg Matthams Self & Weaver

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Young New York artist Tschabalala Self draws on the art historical tradition of the reclining nude to present a doll-like body composed of parts (including an extra leg).   It’s a figure that looks to be made for changing. (At Thierry Goldberg Gallery on the Lower East Side through January 16th).

Tschabalala Self, Pieces of Me, oil and acrylic on paper, 60 x 44 inches, 2015.


Anthony Pearson at Marianne Boesky Gallery

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Anthony Pearson’s organic and geometric forms, hand-scored in flat layers of tinted hydrocal, alternate between all-white and black compositions and lead the eye through a series of experiments in light and shape. (At Marianne Boesky Gallery in Chelsea through January 16th).

Anthony Pearson, detail of ‘Untitled (Four Part Etched Plaster),’ pigmented hydrocal and medium coated pigment hydrocal in four walnut frames, 12 ½ x 9 ½ x 1 ¾ inches, 2015.


James Welling at David Zwirner Gallery

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Influential LA photographer James Welling merges photos of dancers, modernist architecture and landscapes in one of his most beautiful series to date. ‘Choreograph,’ currently on view at David Zwirner Gallery, derives its brilliant colors from intense Photoshop experimentation and its dynamism from the ghost-like images interacting on Welling’s unique stage. (In Chelsea through January 16th).

James Welling, 7809, inkjet print, 42 x 63 inches, 2015.


Frank Stella at the Whitney Museum

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Frank Stella’s huge Wooden Star I sits under the stars on the Whitney Museum’s outdoor terrace; in league with a red and white Empire State Building behind, it’s like a giant Christmas ornament for the city. Tiny, 3-D printed versions by the artist are available for sale in the museum’s gift shop. (Through Feb 7th).

 Frank Stella, installation view of Wooden Star I, 2014, at the Whitney Museum, Dec 2015.


Teresita Fernandez, Vinales (Subterranean) at Lehmann Maupin

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Inspired by the cave systems of Vinales, Cuba, Teresita Fernandez’s glimmering semi-abstract ceramic mosaic pictures a lush cave interior with the suggestion of human figures in elemental interactions with nature. (At Lehmann Maupin through Dec 31st).

 Teresita Fernandez, Vinales (Subterranean), glazed ceramic, 72 x 144 x 1.5 inches, 2015.


Daniel Hesidence at Canada New York

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Like Claes Oldenburg’s Ray Gun series, for which he gathered found objects that had a gun-like shape, Daniel Hesidence’s latest series of paintings – subtitled ‘Summer’s Gun’ – tempt his audience into a game of looking for and interpreting the various forms that take center stage against heavily textured backgrounds.  Set among calming, green-tones, an arrow-head or skull-like shape dominates this image, suggesting a still partially buried archaeological find.  (At Canada NY on the Lower East Side through Jan 6th).

 Daniel Hesidence, Untitled (Summer’s Gun), oil on canvas, 59 x 78 inches, 2015.


Angel Otero Paintings at Lehmann Maupin

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Using skins of dried, peeled paint as a collage material, Angel Otero adheres color to his canvas in fleshy pinks and mustard yellows that recall deKooning’s sensuous Pink Angels tempered by a cooler palette.  (At Lehmann Maupin on the Lower East Side through Dec 31st).

Angel Otero, Come Sleep with Me: We Won’t Make Love, Love will Make Us, oil paint and fabric collaged on canvas, 96 x 72 x 2.5 inches, 2015.


Simryn Gill at Tracy Williams Ltd.

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Stones gathered from an urban beach in Port Dickson, Malaysia rest alongside prints created from a huge variety of German potatoes in Australian artist Simryn Gill’s latest solo show at Tracy Williams, Ltd.  Both projects suggest nature’s overlooked abundance.  (On the Lower East Side through Jan 10th).

Simryn Gill, Foreground: Untitled, stones collected from one of the few remaining urban beaches in the town of Port Dickson, 8 wooden tables, 29 1/2 x 72 x 144 inches, 2015.  Background:  Let Them Eat Potatoes, 182 Louis Vuitton writing inks on Gmund paper, 24 x 17 inches each, 2014.


Gil Batle at Ricco Maresca Gallery

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In this meticulous hand carving on ostrich egg by Gil Batle, who spent two decades incarcerated in California, a cast of characters carries on life in prison. Here, ‘Hollywood’ makes prison wine. (At Chelsea’s Ricco Maresca Gallery through Jan 9th). 

Gil Batle, Chrysalis, Carved ostrich egg shell, 6.5 x 5 x 5 inches, 2014.

Ian Ruhter at Danziger Gallery

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This tranquil Lake Tahoe scene looks timeless, or at least captured about one hundred and fifty years ago. Working with a wet plate collodion process from the 19th century, photographer Ian Ruhter modernizes the method by shooting from inside a truck on huge plates, enacting what he calls a kind of alchemy. (At Chelsea’s Danziger Gallery through Jan 16th). 

Ian Ruhter, Snow on Pines, Lake Tahoe, 30 x 40 inch pigment print, 2010.

Dan Hernandez at Kim Foster Gallery

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Toledo-based artist Dan Hernandez combines scenes from early Renaissance paintings with 80s video game imagery to humorous effect at Kim Foster Gallery in Chelsea. Inspired by the flat sense of space and major size discrepancies between the characters in both genres, Hernandez creates epic battles between characters that stretch the idea of supernatural powers. (Through Jan 16th)

Dan Hernandez, Nocturne, mixed media on panel, 12 x 24 inches, 2015.

Eleanor Ray at Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects

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Eleanor Ray’s tiny rendition of Fra Angelico’s Annunciation at the Convent of San Marco in Florence substitutes the early Renaissance master’s exquisite detail for a soft-edged summary. Seen in Ray’s painting through a doorway and from below, the architecture acts like a winged altarpiece, opening to reveal a mirage-like vision. (At Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects through Dec 24th). 

Eleanor Ray, San Marco Stairs, oil on panel, 6 x 5 ½ inches, 2014.

Sharon Lockhart at Barbara Gladstone Gallery

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Visitors to Sharon Lockhart’s latest solo show at Barbara Gladstone play a game of peek-a-boo with the LA artist’s recurring subject, a Polish teen with whom she’s worked for years. Moving around the large walls erected at the center of the gallery, visitors can ponder how much a photo can ever really reveal of its subject. (In Chelsea, through January 23rd). 

Sharon Lockhart, Milena, Jaroslaw, 2013, three framed chromogenic prints, 50 ¾ x 40 ¾ inches, 2014.

Zeng Fanzhi at Gagosian Gallery

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‘Vast’ is the only way to describe the scale of Chinese star artist Zeng Fanzhi’s latest paintings on view at Chelsea’s Gagosian Gallery. Titled ‘This Land So Rich in Beauty,’ the nearest and largest painting depicts a curiously glowing landscape mysteriously obscured by a thicket, suggesting that both wonders and danger lie just out of reach. (Through Dec 23rd).

Zeng Fanzhi, installation view of ‘Paintings, Drawings and Two Sculptures’ at Gagosian Gallery, November 2015.

Moataz Nasr at Leila Heller Gallery

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Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr’s New York solo debut at Leila Heller Gallery features work in a variety of media including neon, glass and video, but a row of 25 ceramic figures of everyday Cairenes titled ‘The People,’ stands out. Chief among these is a version of the female protester who was notoriously brutalized by Egyptian soldiers during 2011 demonstrations in Tahrir Square; rendered with the slightly curving forms of a Hummel figurine, the sculpture manages to disturb as much as the original video footage. (Through Dec 23rd).

Moataz Nasr, Elshaab (the people), 25 ceramic characters (detail seen here), 10.6 x 2.4 x 4 in each (approx.), 2012.

Keith Mayerson at Marlborough Gallery

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Dozens of paintings stacked floor to ceiling on all four walls of Marlborough Gallery’s main space are a portrait of New York artist Keith Mayerson’s life and mass media influences. Judy Garland as Dorothy, MLK, JFK and James Dean make starring appearances in images that establish common ground between viewer and artist by way of our pop culture heritage. (In Chelsea through Dec 23rd).

Keith Mayerson, installation view of ‘My American Dream,’ at Marlborough Gallery, Nov 2015.

Katy Grannan at Salon94 Bowery

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Taken in what photographer Katy Grannan calls ‘spontaneous collaborations,’ photos of anonymous subjects on the street from 2012-13 lend a heroic quality and astounding dignity to Californians on the margins. (At Salon 94 Bowery on the Lower East Side through Dec 20th).

Katy Grannan, Anonymous, Modesto, CA, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper mounted to Plexiglas, 55 x 41 inches, 2013.

Ruby Sky Stiler at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery

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From straight on, Ruby Sky Stiler’s large new sculptures of female heads and bodies look like bronze architectural features intended for the metalwork of a gate or fence. Actually made of wood with two intersecting perpendicular panels, their legibility morphs as the viewer walks around them; clustered in pairs or groups, they suggest a silent community of watching women. (At Nicelle Beauchene Gallery through Dec 20th).

 Ruby Sky Stiler, Head, stained Baltic birch, 36 x 24 x 13 inches and Wave Head, stained Baltic birch, 46 x 30 x 15 ½ inches, 2015.

Miranda Lichtenstein at Elizabeth Dee Gallery

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The ‘you’ in this photo by New York artist Miranda Lichtenstein points in several directions; most obvious is a shaming of the plastic bag user, more concerned with convenience than environmental responsibility. It also leads away from Lichtenstein herself, considering that the image is a manipulation of a work by artist Josh Blackwell, whose practice involves layering and sewing on plastic carrier bags. It’s hard to tell where one artist’s work begins and the other ends, but both come out ahead – Lichtenstein for her generosity in sharing her platform and Blackwell for his creativity. (At Elizabeth Dee Gallery in Chelsea through Dec 19th).

 Miranda Lichtenstein, You!, archival pigment print, 40 x 26 ½ inches, 2015.

Mary Heilmann at 303 Gallery

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Mary Heilmann’s paintings lead viewers down the road, but a scattering of brightly colored chairs designed by the artist and installed in Chelsea’s 303 Gallery invites us to stay a while. Titled Maricopa Highway, this painting ignores the view to either side of this scenic California roadway, instead taking us straight into a washy blue heavens. (Through Dec 19th).

 Mary Heilmann, Maricopa Highway, acrylic on canvas, 42 x 42 x 1 ½ inches, 2015.

Cynthia Daignault at Lisa Cooley Gallery

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From rural barns to suburban houses, flowing rivers to barren desert, Cynthia Daignault pictures it all in her epic 360 piece painting project ‘Light Atlas,’ now on view at Lower East Side gallery Lisa Cooley. Born of a desire to add to the number of women who’ve produced art and literature from on country-wide travels, Daignault’s project is a surprisingly tranquil picture of the country. (Through Dec 20th).

 Cynthia Daignault, installation view of Light Atlas at Lisa Cooley Gallery, oil on linen, overall dimensions variable, in 360 parts, 8 x 10 inches each, 2015.

Jean Tinguely at Barbara Gladstone Gallery

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Step on an inviting red floor pedal at Barbara Gladstone Gallery and you’ll be rewarded by the clanking and whirring of one of Swiss artist Jean Tinguely’s kinetic sculptures, rarely seen in New York. Here, twirling feathers and bright lights offer a momentary carnival-like dose of lights, color and motion. (In Chelsea through Dec 19th).

Jean Tinguely, Untitled (Lamp), iron, feathers, light fixtures, light bulbs and electric motor, 33 ½ x 41 x 27 1/8 inches, 1982.

Nathan Vincent at Emmanuel Fremin Gallery

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At three inches high, toy soldiers aren’t that menacing. At three feet, the relationship changes. Nathan Vincent’s heavily armed knit and crocheted army figures go to war in Chelsea’s Emmanuel Fremin Gallery to eerie effect, their material inviting cozy thoughts, their weaponry and child-like size eliciting alarm. (Through Dec 31st).

 Nathan Vincent, installation view of ‘Let’s Play War’ at Emmanuel Fremin Gallery, Dec 2015.

Hayley Tompkins in ‘Walks and displacements’ at Andrew Kreps Gallery

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Hayley Tompkins’ picture pails are loosely reminiscent of looking down at one’s distorted reflection in a pool of water; they’re like a quieter, low tech version of Tony Oursler’s talking heads projected on objects; folded into plastic bags and put in pails, they could be refuse waiting to be taken out. Whatever motivated them, they’re made to be moved – a body-less companion waiting to go for a walk. (At Andrew Kreps Gallery through Dec 19th.) 

 Hayley Tompkins, Picture Pail IV, V and VI, metal pail, plastic bag, gouache and magazine page, 13 x 13 ¾ x 12 ¼ inches, 2015.

Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen Models at Paula Cooper

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Is Claes Oldenburg’s Stradivarius any more sophisticated than his giant, soft hamburger from the 60s? Together with his collaborator and wife Coosje van Bruggen, Oldenburg collected and displayed drawings and models for the couple’s large-scale outdoor sculptures around their homes and studio. A selection now on view at Paula Cooper Gallery testifies to their whimsical sense of humor and love of music. (In Chelsea through Dec 19th).

 Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Sliced Stradivarius – Rose, canvas, felt, wood, cord, hardware, painted with latex, 45 x 18 x 7 inches, 2003.

Cayce Zavaglia at Lyons Wier Gallery

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Trained as a painter, St Louis artist Cayce Zavaglia took up embroidery years ago.  Yet to unsuspecting eyes, her remarkable facility makes lines of thread appear to be tiny brushstrokes. (At Lyons Wier Gallery through Dec 12th).

Cayce Zavaglia, Uncle Angelo, one ply cotton, silk, and wool thread on Belgian linen with acrylic, 8.75 x 7.75 inches, 2015.

Ryan Mrozowski at On Stellar Rays

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Brooklyn-based Ryan Mrozowski’s condensed orange grove contrasts scattered leaves with ordered rows of bright orange fruit, creating an image that’s both random and ordered, mysterious and predictable, natural and manmade. (At On Steller Rays through Dec 13th).

 Ryan Mrozowski, Untitled (Orange), acrylic on linen, 50 x 56 inches, 2015.

Peter Saul at Mary Boone Gallery

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Emmanuel Leutze’s famous depiction of George Washington crossing the Delaware River on the night of Dec 25th, 1776 takes artistic liberties, but not as many as Peter Saul’s hilarious comic version. Hopping across potato-like icebergs, Washington as a flower-hatted dandy uses his massive fists to punch red-faced, bug-eyed Hessian mercenaries in a dramatic historical rewrite. (At Chelsea’s Mary Boone Gallery through Dec 18th).

 Peter Saul, George Washington Crossing the Delaware, acrylic/canvas, 64 x 82 inches, 2015.

Kota Ezawa at Murray Guy Gallery

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Kota Ezawa’s signature simplified, graphic images are well suited to his current body of work – lightboxes that replicate thirteen artworks stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990. Contrary to the carefully executed detail in the original painting depicted here by Johannes Vermeer, Ezawa’s more generalized rendering suggests the omissions of memory. (At Chelsea’s Murray Guy Gallery through Dec 19th).

 Kota Ezawa, The Concert, LED lightbox, 28 x 25 inches, 2015.

Corinne Wasmuht at Petzel Gallery

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Working from digital collages and computer sketches, Berlin-based artist Corinne Wasmuht paints scenes in public places that look as if they’re being transmitted by a spotty signal. Blurring the line between real and virtual worlds, each captures a seemingly illusory moment laid down permanently in oil on aluminum. (At Petzel Gallery in Chelsea through Dec 19th).

 Corinne Wasmuht, Pehoe P, oil on aluminum, 38.58 x 44.09 inches, 2015.

Peter Schuyff at Mary Boone Gallery

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Peter Schuyff gives mid-century modernism a shake with this canvas that adopts a palette of primary colors (a la Mondrian or Dubuffet) and geometric forms and appears to be waving in the air. (At Mary Boone Gallery’s midtown location through Dec 18th).

 Peter Schuyff, Untitled, 79 x 71 inches, oil on linen, 2015.

Bjorn Braun at Marianne Boesky Gallery

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Berlin-based artist Bjorn Braun’s main artistic collaborators are birds; he’s long intervened in his Zebra finches’ nest-making and, for his latest solo show, has replaced the glass over Marianne Boesky Gallery’s doorway on the Lower East Side with birdseed bricks. Theoretically, outside birds could nibble away at these birdseed blocks until the distinction between the inside and outside of the gallery vanishes. (Through Dec 20th).

Bjorn Braun, Untitled, sunflower seed, oat flakes, wheat,
juniper seed, peanuts, honey and flour, 2015.

Vibha Galhotra at Jack Shainman Gallery

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High pollution levels in India’s Yamuna River have inspired New-Delhi based artist Vibha Galhotra to gather water samples and statements from locals, which are included in her latest solo show at Jack Shainman Gallery. Here, the toxic-looking material that appears to ooze down from an unknown source is composed of ghungroos, the bells worn in traditional Indian dance, making a connection to the compromised environment and the female body. (In Chelsea through Dec 5th).

Vibha Galhotra, Flow, nickel coated ghungroos, fabric, polyurethane coat, 129 x 93 ¼ x 112 ½ inches, 2015.

Mark Manders at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

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This two-part sculpture by Dutch artist Mark Manders looks
like a portrait of a girl with a split personality; it’s actually a recent
addition to Manders’ years-long project to create an ongoing ‘self-portrait’ in
the form of scaled-down built environments, stylized animals and androgynous
human figures.  Here, bronze figures
painted to look like unfired clay occupy a gallery wrapped in plastic sheeting,
as if the creative process has just halted. (At Tanya Bonkadar Gallery in
Chelsea through Dec 19th.)

Mark Manders, Room with Unfired Clay Figures, painted
bronze, iron, wood, offset print on paper, 93 3/8 x 141 ½ x 51 inches,
2011-2015.

Sopheap Pich at Tyler Rollins Fine Art

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Cambodia-based artist Sopheap Pich’s bamboo and rattan sculptures are inspired by the natural world, yet bring to mind 3-D diagrams in virtual space. Here, Pich presents a flowering stem for admiration, not for its color but for its curving forms searching for light. (At Tyler Rollins Fine Art in Chelsea through Nov 19th).

Sopheap Pich, Rang Phnom Flower No. 2, bamboo, rattan, metal wire, 30 ¾ x 85 ½ x 43 ¼ inches, 2015.

Holly Coulis at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery

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Holly Coulis’s latest paintings feature kitchenware, fruits and foods with a clean-lined graphic sensibility. Strong red outlines and softly glowing orbs of light take the still lives into another realm, however, making the familiar delightfully strange. (At Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery on the Lower East Side through Dec 6th).

 Holly Coulis, Fruit, Pitcher in a Corner, oil on canvas, 30 x 22 inches, 2015.

Hilary Harnischfeger at Rachel Uffner Gallery

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Hilary Harnischfeger makes an unlikely but delightful connection to both geological formations and a cow in this wall-mounted sculpture titled ‘Bovina.’ Using stacked layers of cut and colored paper, ceramic, oil stick and hydrostone, the Brooklyn-based artist works her usual magic with materials while bringing to mind farm tools or a cow’s skull affixed to a barn wall. (On the Lower East Side at Rachel Uffner Gallery through Dec 20th).

 Hilary Harnischfeger, Bovina, ceramic, hydrostone, pigment, crushed glass, oil stick, paper, wood, 20 x 22 x 10 inches, 2015.

Mark Bradford at Hauser & Wirth Gallery

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LA artist Mark Bradford takes full advantage of his new affiliation with Hauser & Wirth Gallery and their huge gallery space with this piece, titled ‘Waterfall.’ Bradford is known for embedding cords and other materials in his paper-on-canvas artworks; here, he has pulled thick cords away from his ‘paintings,’ bringing the paper with them. Hung over a rafter, the cascade gives new life to action painting. (In Chelsea through Dec 23rd).

 Mark Bradford, Waterfall, mixed media, dimensions variable, 2015.

Jeronimo Elespe Night Paintings at Eleven Rivington

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After seeing just a few pieces in Madrid-based painter Jeronimo Elespe’s latest show at Eleven Rivington, it won’t come as a surprise to find out that he paints at night. Figures and interiors materialize out of the darkness; here, a staircase seems to magically end in a pool of reflected light, anchored by a sniffing dog. (On the Lower East Side through Dec 20th.)

 Jeronimo Elespe, Fine, oil on aluminum, 14.96 x 9.84 inches, 2015.

Thomas Schutte in ‘Sculpture’ at Skarstedt Gallery

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Part of a series of reclining nudes that recall iconic artworks from Manet’s Olympia to Henry Moore’s posed figures, Thomas Schutte’s female figure appears to have been pressed down, as if made of clay and not steel. She is defined by compromise – the antithesis of the classical norm. (At Skarstedt Gallery through Dec 19th).

 Thomas Schutte, Stahlfrau Nr. 4, cast steel on steel table, 13 ¾ x 86 ½ x 47 ½ inches, 1999.

Josh Tonsfeldt at Simon Preston Gallery

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Shot on the fly through the window of a Toronto tattoo shop, this image by Josh Tonsfeldt stacks pictures – of the window itself, reflections on the glass, a man looking at a screen, and the same man using his skin as a surface. Printing on the cement-like material hydrocal lends a provocative, incongruous sense of permanence to a chance encounter. (At Simon Preston Gallery on the Lower East Side through Dec 20th).

Josh Tonsfeldt, Adrenaline Tattoo, UV cured pigment print on hydrocal, spray paint, epoxy resin, pigment inks, 32 x 48 inches, 2015.

Rachel Whiteread, Silver Leaf at Luhring Augustine

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Famous for making casts of empty space (inside of rooms, between book shelves), British sculptor Rachel Whiteread continues to consider built and domestic environments in her latest solo show at Chelsea’s Luhring Augustine Gallery. Among doors and windows cast in resin, this papier mache and silver leaf brick wall offers an architectural fragment as a precious object. (Through Dec 19th).

Rachel Whiteread, Untitled (Silver Leaf), papier mache and silver leaf, 22 x 19 5/8 inches, 2015.

Zhang Huan at Pace Gallery

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At 122 feet long, Shanghai-based artist Zhang Huan’s epic painting of Mao surrounded by hundreds of government members and followers forcefully demonstrates the Chinese leader’s power just a short while before the Cultural Revolution began. Created in ash gathered from Buddhist temples, a material Zhang identifies with ‘collective longings, wishes of the people,’ the piece demonstrates the continued sway of history on contemporary life and politics. (At Chelsea’ Pace Gallery through Dec 12th).

 Zhang Huan, June 15, 1964, ash on linen, 9’ 5/16 x 122 ‘ 11/16”, 2013.

Andy Goldsworthy at Galerie Lelong

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Renowned for his interventions in nature, British artist Andy Goldsworthy has recently documented himself walking up a waterfall, throwing kelp into the sky and crawling precariously across a long hedge. Here, he participates in an autumn ritual usually enjoyed a younger demographic – burrowing through a massive pile of fallen leaves. Each gesture reads as a charmingly quixotic quest to engage with nature. (At Chelsea’s Galerie Lelong through Dec 5th).

 Andy Goldsworthy, Burrowing through a pile of leaves, Greenwich, CT, 15 Nov, 2013, time lapse video, running time 4:27 minutes, ed of 6.

Sheila Hicks, Baoli at Sikkema Jenkins

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Titled after a step-well leading down to water, Sheila Hicks’ large wall hanging, Baoli, offers a dynamic surface, with colorful areas leading the eye into the depths, lighter areas suggesting a solid surface on which the eye can rest. (At Sikkema Jenkins & Co through Nov 28th).

Sheila Hicks, Baoli, natural linen, triple-dyed embroidery cotton, 114 x 63 x 8 inches, 2014.

Surface Tension at FLAG Art Foundation

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It’s always a treat to see work by Ghanaian artist El Anatsui, known for repurposing materials like printing plates and liquor bottle caps into beautiful abstract sculpture. This piece opens the show ‘Surface Tension’ at Chelsea’s FLAG Art Foundation, a timely selection of work by a multi-generational selection of artists who create dramatic tension on 2-D surfaces. (Through Dec 12th).

El Anatsui, Telesma, mixed media, found aluminum and copper wire, 96 x 116 inches, 2014.

Benjamin Degen, Fast Swimmer at Susan Inglett

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‘Every time I look out a window, a new floor is built onto a new tower,’ writes New York painter Benjamin Degen as he explains about how his recent work considers communities of individuals and friends against the backdrop of a rapidly changing city. One of these characters in ‘Fast Swimmer’ is literally wrapped up by her environment, which abounds in patterns. (At Susan Inglett Gallery through Dec 5th).

Benjamin Degen, Fast Swimmer, oil on linen over panel, 72 x 48 inches, 2015.

Yoon Ji Seon at Yossi Milo Gallery

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Physical transformation is nothing new for Korean youth; one recent poll reported that 50% of young women in their 20s have had a cosmetic procedure. Seoul-based artist Yoon Ji Seon alters her features aggressively by stitching over photographic self-portraits printed on linen, but she does so with a wild creativity that rejects conventional beauty norms. (At Yossi Milo Gallery through Dec 5th).

 Yoon Ji Seon, Rag Face #15022, sewing on fabric and photograph, 24” x 16.5”, unique, 2015.

Beatriz Milhazes at James Cohan Gallery

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Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes continues to conjure a joyous mood and rhythmically flowing forms in abstract paintings and new sculptures at James Cohan Gallery. She’s said that without the inspiration of Carnival, she wouldn’t be an artist; these sculptures even evolved from some made in collaboration with craftsmen who make floats for Carnival. (In Chelsea through Nov 28th).

Beatriz Milhazes, installation view of ‘Marola’ at James Cohan Gallery, Oct 2015.

Karl Haendel at Mitchell-Innes and Nash

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To what ends will you go for personal improvement? Karl Haendel’s huge, meticulous pencil drawings document a push for personal perfection and accompanying sense of self-worth by yoga practitioners; elsewhere, he draws apes balanced on what look like pieces of modern art. ‘Where does it all start and stop?’ his gorgeously rendered artworks seem to ask. (At Chelsea’s Mitchell-Innes and Nash through Dec 5th).

 Karl Haendel, Radcliffe, pencil on paper with shaped frame, 67 ½ x 89 ½ inches, 2015.

Li Liao at Klein Sun Gallery

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Visitors who stray too far into Klein Sun Gallery get more
than they bargained for with Chinese video and performance artist Li Liao’s
performance piece, ‘Attacking the Boxer from Behind is Forbidden.’  Each afternoon, a boxer occupies half of the
gallery, sparring with anyone who gets close and giving visitors the chance to
consider how they’ll react to an unexpected situation that defies conventional
gallery behavior. (In Chelsea through Nov 14th).

 Li Liao, performance view of ‘Attacking the Boxer From
Behind is Forbidden’ at Klein Sun Gallery, October 2015.

Joan Linder at Mixed Greens

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Joan Linder revisits the 1970s Love Canal toxic dumping scandal with a labor-intensive exhibition at Mixed Greens of meticulous drawings depicting the borders of the Buffalo landfill site as well as renderings of documents related to environmental degradation. In the gallery’s back room, notebooks stretching along every wall picture fences that keep the public way from ruined land, raising the question of what’s lurking here and elsewhere. (In Chelsea through Nov 14th).

Joan Linder, Hooker 102nd Street Book, ink on moleskin notebook, 5 books, 5 ½ x 3 ½ inches when closed; 5 ½ x 105 inches when opened, 2013.

Svenja Deininger at Marianne Boesky Gallery

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Shape and color are subject matter for Viennese artist Svenja Deininger, who jettisons the latter in this untitled painting to create a play of surfaces and edges. (At Chelsea’s Marianne Boesky Gallery through Nov 14th).

Svenja Deininger, Untitled, oil on canvas, 80 ¼ x 52 inches framed, 2015.

Christopher Adams at Garvey Simon Art Access

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Christopher Adams’ ceramic plants appear at once fragile and
robust; the material of their thin, scrolling leaves suggests something
breakable, the vigorous growth at center hints at expansive potential.  Garvey Simon Art Access in Chelsea is overrun
with variations on the plant in a range of glazes and finishes, making for a provocative
merger of biology and decoration. 
(Through Nov 7th).

Christopher Adams, from the ‘Primordial Garden’ series,
2015.

Eric Aho at DC Moore Gallery

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A frenzy of gestural abstraction in the foreground of this
painting by Vermont-based artist Eric Aho crystalizes into a representational
image of a majestic mountain in the far distance, giving the impression that Aho
begins by almost being inside his subject matter…then gradually allows images
to materialize.  (At Chelsea’s DC Moore
Gallery through Nov 14th).

Eric Aho, The Mountain, oil on linen, 90 x 80inches, 2014.

Martin Wittfooth at Jonathan LeVine Gallery

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Martin Wittfooth’s ‘Dawn’ would look like an exaggerated prophecy about the dangers of global warming on coastal cites were it not for the few apartment lights on below the massive whale. A few people are waking up to a reality far beyond the norm – a theme that ties into Wittfooth’s interest in altered consciousness in shamanistic practice. (At Chelsea’s Jonathan Levine Gallery through Nov 14th).

Martin Wittfooth, Dawn, oil on canvas, 54 x 120 inches, 2015.

Mernet Larsen in ‘Let’s Get Figurative’ at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery

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Mernet Larsen’s eerie nativity scene is a standout in Nicelle Beauchene Gallery’s mini-survey of current trends in figurative painting. Though the figures’ boxy shapes recall the Cubism-mocking ‘Cubies’ cartoons from a century ago, flashes of oddness (in the position of the angels’ feet, a spill on Mary’s lap) punctuate an already charged atmosphere. (On the Lower East Side through Nov 15th).

Mernet Larsen, Nativity, acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 74 x 31.5 inches, 2005.

Isa Genzken at David Zwirner Gallery

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Isa Genzken’s exuberant accumulations of glitzy and everyday
materials (where a pedestal wrapped in a sheet of shiny Mylar might meet
plastic chairs or a bouquet of flowers) have sobered up considerably with her
latest exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery. 
Here, mannequins are the basic building block for her abstractions; some
appear to converse freely with each other, others appear to be in disguise or
are tied and bound.  Several in police
vests and safety gear near the front door set a tense tone.  (At David Zwirner Gallery through Oct 31st).

Isa Genzken, installation view at David Zwirner Gallery, October 2015.

Jose Parla at Mary Boone Gallery & Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery

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Once a street artist, now an artist inspired by the
histories of the built environment, Jose Parla adds layers of posters, grime
and brightly colored paint to faux fragments of wall currently on view at Bryce
Wolkowitz Gallery and Mary Boone Gallery. 
Considering that the block on which these galleries stand has been
largely rebuilt in the past several years, Parla’s treasuring of fragments from
the past has particular resonance. 
(Through Oct 31st).

Jose Parla, installation view at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery,
Sept 2015.

Richard Prince at Barbara Gladstone Gallery

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Talk about a lonesome cowboy. This solitary bronze figure – cast from a cowboy mannequin and painted – stands completely alone in Barbara Gladstone’s 21st Street space. However, though it looks like a younger relative to the artist’s famously appropriated Marlborough ads from the 80s, a text by Prince calls him ‘a male version of Spiritual America,’ a controversial past work appropriating a photo of a nude Brooke Shields. Is Prince approaching a new taboo with this trigger-happy youngster? (In Chelsea through Oct 30th)

Installation view of ‘Cowboy’ at Barbara Gladstone Gallery.

Louis M. Eilshemius at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery

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Late 19th, early 20th century American painter Louis M. Eilshemius painted in obscurity until he was discovered by Marcel Duchamp in 1917. Already embittered, the artist stopped painting just a few years later, despite a whirlwind of interest in and exhibitions of his work. At Michael Rosenfeld Gallery in Chelsea, a selection of paintings, including this enigmatic moonlit exchange between a merman and human woman, offer insight into Eilshemius’s moody narratives. (Through Oct 31st).

Louis M. Eilshemius, Untitled (Figures in a Moonlit Landscape), oil on paperboard, 22 ½ x 26 ½ inches, c. 1905.

Nigel Cooke at Pace Gallery

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British artist Nigel Cooke has signed on with a new gallery and stepped back from the abstract style of his last New York solo show in 2012, but his typically dark, psychedelic undertones remain. The common point of his latest body of work is a cast of mysterious, otherworldly characters like this spotlit ‘blind philosopher’ who sees beyond the glowing lamplight and burning bush surrounding him. (At Pace Gallery’s 510 West 25th Street location through Oct 24th). Nigel Cooke, detail of Blind Philosopher, oil on linen backed with sailcloth, 250cm x 190 cm, 2015.


Marco Maggi at Josee Bienvenu Gallery

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Uruguayan artist Marco Maggi’s labor-intensive installation at Josee Bienvenu Gallery – consisting of thousands of forms in self-adhesive archival paper applied directly to the gallery wall – is, according to a handout, intended ‘to promote pauses and make time visible.’ The incredible profusion of tiny cutouts sometimes resembles diagrams of electronic devices, sometimes a shape-based language system in disarray; the takeaway is a sense of wonder at the myriad systems which escape our day-to-day observation. (In Chelsea through Nov 7th). Marco Maggi, installation detail at Josee Bienvenu Gallery, Sept 2015.


Maureen Gallace at 303 Gallery

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Fleeting clouds, rapidly sloping greenery and a mini-explosion of wind-whipped shrubbery in this coastal scene by Maureen Gallace keep the eye moving around the spare landscape. Perfectly timed to generate nostalgia for disappearing fair weather days, Gallace’s latest solo show at Chelsea’s 303 Gallery speaks the language of memory and longing. (Through Oct 31st). Maureen Gallace, Surf Road, oil on panel, 9 x 12 inches, 2015.

Wolfgang Tillmans at David Zwirner Gallery

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Digital technology allows us to picture everything in amazing detail, so how do you choose your subject matter as a professional photographer? Wolfgang Tillmans answers this question by continuing to zero in on the exceptional and mundane, picturing his day-to-day world (portraits of friends, laundry piles) and international travels in prints both tiny and monumental in a characteristic salon-style hanging which seems to evoke the randomness of life. (At David Zwirner Gallery through Oct 24th).

Wolfgang Tillmans, installation view of ‘New York Installation PCR’ at David Zwirner Gallery, September, 2015.

Roman Stanczak at Bureau Gallery

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‘My sculptures speak of life…among spirits,’ says Warsaw-based sculptor Roman Stanczak, whose carefully destroyed bedside table at LES Bureau Gallery suggests a particularly haunted mental state. (Through Oct 25th).

Roman Stanczak, From 2nd to 3rd, wooden cupboard, wood chips, 22.75 x 38 x 39.25 inches, 2015.

Julie Schenkelberg, Swan Song at Asya Geisberg Gallery

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From the heart of the Rust Belt to the heart of Chelsea, scenic designer turned fine artist Julie Schenkelberg has transplanted an installation begun in a disused church basement to Asya Geisberg Gallery. Furniture, dishware, wedding dresses and more combine to create a monument to memory and decay. (In Chelsea through Oct 24th).

Julie Schenkelberg, Swan Song, reclained lath, wood, marble, iron, paper, vintage furniture, dishware, figurines, natural debris, crushed reclaimed metal, light fixtures, vintage wedding dresses, bathtub, wallpaper, plaster, paint, dimensions variable, 2015.

Pinaree Sanpitak at Tyler Rollins Fine Art

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Inspired by ma-lai flower garlands used in Thai ceremonies, Pinaree Sanpitak continues her interest in artwork related to the female body and experience with this installation of fabric that drains the color from the toile ‘flowers,’ leaving pure forms behind. (At Tyler Rollins Fine Art in Chelsea through Oct 24th).

Pinaree Sanpitak, ‘Ma-Lai: mentally secured,’ toile, 15 pieces, dimensions variable, 2014 – 15.

Sara Cwynar in ‘Continuous Surfaces’ at Andrea Rosen Gallery

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Sara Cwynar’s photo of stacked images of Nefertiti comes at a moment when it’s possible to see images of the ancient Egyptian queen at both the Brooklyn Museum and another Chelsea gallery, reinforcing the idea that much of what we’re seeing in daily life is an oft repeated referent to a distant original. The words ‘ERROR: ioerror’ appear scattered throughout suggesting a corrupting effect to so much mediation. (At Chelsea’s Andrea Rosen Gallery through Oct 24th)

Sara Cwynar, 432 Photographs of Nefertiti, collaged UV coated archival pigment prints mounted to Plexiglas and Dibond, 54 x 43 x 7/8 inches, 2015.

Simon Schubert at Foley Gallery

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Edgar Allan Poe’s stern face dominates one very dark wall of graphite drawings by German artist Simon Schubert at the Lower East Side’s Foley Gallery; on the other, a series of white paper ‘drawings’ are folded to create the lines that picture a staircase with a ghostly figure. The sense of a benign, ghostly presence is palpable. (Through Oct 18th).

Simon Schubert, Untitled (Stairs with Figure), 39.5 x 27.5 inches, 2015.

William Villalongo at Susan Inglett Gallery

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‘You Matter,’ reads a sign in the window of William Villalongo’s current solo show at Susan Inglett Gallery, recalling the refrain from recent protests against police aggression. Inside, the Brooklyn-based artist presents the seasons as skeletons cloaked in glittering black female bodies and dominating lush landscapes – characters at peace and one with nature. (In Chelsea through Oct 17th).

William Villalongo, (detail from) Spring, acrylic, paper and velvet flocking on wood panel, 72 x 36 inches, 2015.

Keltie Ferris at Mitchell-Innes and Nash

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Brooklyn-based painter Keltie Ferris is known for abstract paintings that recall the city grid, so you’d think she’d relish LA’s road systems on her recent residency there. Instead, she turns her eye skyward in pieces like ‘oRiOn,’ a canvas that hints at a celestial hunter, outlined in vivid color and decorated in a shower of shooting stars. (At Chelsea’s Mitchell-Innes and Nash through Oct 17th).

Keltie Ferris, oRiOn, acrylic and oil on canvas, 72 x 60 inches, 2015.

Chuck Close Self Portraits at Pace Gallery

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For his latest show at Pace Gallery’s 534 West 25th Street location, Chuck Close continues to replicate mechanical processes by hand in huge self-portraits painted square by square in thin washes of red, blue or yellow paint. (Through Oct 17th).

Chuck Close, Self-Portrait IV, oil on canvas, 96 x 84 inches, 2014-15 (right) and Self-Portrait III, oil on canvas, 101 5/8 x 84 inches, 2014 (to the left).

McArthur Binion at Galerie Lelong

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Using copies of his birth certificate, pages from his address books and these photos, Chicago-based artist McArthur Binion creates a deeply personal abstract modernism. (At Chelsea’s Galerie Lelong through Oct 17th).

McArthur Binion, MAB: 1971: I, oil paint stick and paper on board, 15 x 15 inches, 2015.

Martin Roth at Louis B. James Gallery

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Parakeets without owners occupy the upper reaches of Louis B James Gallery, while rubble shipped in suitcases from the Syrian/Turkish border is strewn on the floor, creating a situation that prompts meditation on freedom and migration by Austrian born, NY-based artist Martin Roth. (On the Lower East Side through Oct 18th).

Martin Roth, installation view of ‘untitled (debris)’ at Louis B. James Gallery, Oct 2015.

Will Ryman at Paul Kasmin Gallery

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Will Ryman has arranged thousands of paint brushes into soft wavy walls and planted huge metal flower sculptures on the Park Avenue malls, so the political subtext beneath his recent sculpture ‘The Situation Room’ at Chelsea’s Paul Kasmin Gallery comes as something of a surprise. Wanting to respond to the famous photos of the Obama administration watching the SEAL raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound in 2011, Ryman recreated the scene in coal dust covered sculptures that appear suspended in time as if preserved by a fossil fuel-related Pompeiian disaster. (Through Oct 17th).

Will Ryman, The Situation Room, coal, fiberglass, wood, fabric, epoxy, 132 x 163 x 78 inches, 2014.

Teppei Kaneuji at Jane Lombard Gallery

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Originally inspired by a coffee stain on paper, Kyoto-based artist Teppei Kaneuji elaborated on this Dagwood-esque sandwich to the point of amusing absurdity. Here he combines pieces of wood and plastic food in a mix of ‘natural’ and ‘fake’ that conveys the fun of stacking blocks and the specter of excess calorie consumption. (At Jane Lombard Gallery through Oct 17th).

Teppei Kaneuji, Muddy Stream from a Mug (Sandwich), coffee, paper, wood, plastic objects, urethane resin, 19 ½ x 12 x 10 inches, 2015.

Terry Haggerty, Double Back at Sikkema Jenkins

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British artist Terry Haggerty takes his illusion-based painting a step further in his solo show at Chelsea’s Sikkema Jenkins & Co by literally projecting his signature undulating ribbons toward the viewer. The normally wall-hugging panels are painted on aluminum supports and appear as if they can’t quite be tamed. (Through Oct 17th).

Terry Haggerty, Double Back, acrylic on aluminum, 81.125 x 36 x 17.75 inches, 2015.

Clement Siatous at Simon Preston Gallery

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In 1973, the British government handed over the Chagos Islands to the US to use for military operations, claiming that they were uninhabited. Island resident Clement Siatous paints evidence to the contrary in a series of palpably wistful paintings inspired by memories from his childhood. Here, the Nordver removes citizens of Diego Garcia, leaving behind homes, animals and a cultural heritage. (At Simon Preston Gallery on the Lower East Side through Oct 18th. More info at http://newatlantisproject.com/)

Clement Siatous, Dernier Voyage des Chagossiens a bord du Nordvar anrade Diego Garcia, en 1973, acrylic on linen, 26 x 45.75 inches, 2006.

Morgane Tschiember at Tracy Williams, Ltd.

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Paris-based Morgane Tschiember uses Tracy Wiliams’ new Lower East Side space to great effect with this handsome installation of compromised, suspended vessels set off by the huge wall painting ‘Falls.’ (Through Nov 1st).

Morgane Tschiember, installation view of ‘Almost a Kiss’ at Tracy Williams Ltd. on the Lower East Side, Sept 2015.

Samara Golden at Canada

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Enter LA artist Samara Golden’s full-gallery installation at Canada on the Lower East Side, and prepare to be jolted from the everyday – the floor under a catwalk is lined with mirrors and furniture fixed to the wall in a gravity-defying display the invites visitors to let loose from their moorings and play ‘what if.’ (Through Oct 25th).

Samara Golden, installation view of ‘A Fall of Corners’ at Canada Gallery, Sept 2015.

Zheng Lu at Sundaram Tagore Gallery

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Beijing artist Zheng Lu learned the art of calligraphy from his literary family; respect for the written word has extended to his present practice in pieces like this, for which the artist laser cut characters from steel (that originally appeared in historically important texts) fusing them into this elegant, dynamic drip of water. (At Chelsea’s Sundaram Tagore Gallery through Oct 10th.)

Zheng Lu, Water Dripping – Splashing, stainless steel, 181.1 x 131.9 x 114.2 inches, 2014.

Alicia McCarthy at Jack Hanley Gallery

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San Francisco Mission School artist Alicia McCarthy presents signature grids and more at Jack Hanley on the Lower East Side, including this pulsing lattice, marred (or made perfect?) by a blur of grey paint. (Through Oct 11th).

Alicia McCarthy, Untitled, gouache and spray and latex paint on wood panel, 96 x 96 inches, 2015.

‘In Appearance of Order’ at 247365

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Normally, this tiny art gallery exists on-line only as virtual gallery ‘Water McBeer,’ run by artist Henry Gunderson. On the occasion of Gunderson’s solo show in 247365 Gallery’s main space, it has stepped into the realm of the real to show miniature artwork by an impressive roster of artists including Carol Bove’s caterpillar, recognizable from bigger versions on the High Line. (Through Oct 11th).

‘In Appearance of Order,’ including work by Carol Bove, Ajay Kurian, Nathaniel de Large, and Jessie Stead, Sept 2015.

Elias Sime at James Cohan Gallery

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Addis Ababa-based artist Elias Sime carries away electronic components by the truck-full from Africa’s largest open-air market in order to create gorgeous installations like this colorful collage at Chelsea’s James Cohan Gallery. (Through Oct 17th).

Elias Sime, Tightrope 7, reclaimed electronic components and wires on panel, 8 ½ x 39 ¼ feet (estimated), 2009-2014.

FAILE and BAST at the Brooklyn Museum

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Brooklyn art duo FAILE and artist friend BAST put a new spin on the old question, ‘what is art?’ by teaming up at the Brooklyn Museum to present a free arcade decorated in their signature posters. According to the museum text, they aim to relieve ‘the pressure of a traditional gallery environment,’ which they do in spades – it’s hard to remember you’re in a museum. (Through Oct 4th).

Installation view of the FAILE and BAST Deluxx Fluxx Arcade, Brooklyn Museum, September, 2015.