Galleries

Tatiana Trouvé’s “Desire Lines” in Central Park
"Desire Lines" Tatiana Trouvé, Central Park

“Desire Lines” Tatiana Trouvé, Central Park

With spring finally in the air, take advantage of the warmer weather and go see “Desire Lines,” a fun and creative outdoor installation by Parisian sculptor, Tatiana Trouvé. It  is composed of miles of colored rope wound around huge wooden spools that hold them. Commissioned by the Public Art Fund, Trouvé’s work is an homage to Central Park. If unwound, the “threads” would stretch along every inch of the 212 paths that snake through the park’s 843-acre rectangle. Many of the paths are unnamed, so Trouvé  invented an “atlas” of the history and culture of walking.

 

“Desire Lines” Tatiana Trouvé, Central Park
“Desire Lines” Tatiana Trouvé, Central Park

Visitors to Desire Lines can choose a path by name then undertake the walk it describes. I went to visit the piece on a frosty day, when snow was still piled around the edges of the park. Without any visible signage, it was hard to appreciate just what you were seeing. Fortunately, I had a chance to visit the Park Avenue Gagosian Gallery which has a companion exhibit called, “Tatiana Trouvé: Studies for Desire Lines.

TATIANA TROUVÉ Untitled, 2014
TATIANA TROUVÉ Untitled, 2014 Ink on canvas, cotton, paper
TATIANA TROUVÉ Untitled (detail), 2014 Ink on canvas, cotton, paper

At the gallery you can see  sculptures, drawings, and preparatory studies that Trouvé  used for Desire Lines. In addition to vellum tracings and cast part-objects, there are detailed graphite drawings inlaid with copper and vertical maps of Central Park in raw canvas with paths hand-stitched in colored silks.

Tatiana Trouvé at the Gagosian gallery

Tatiana Trouvé at the Gagosian gallery

You can see the sculpture at the Doris C. Freedman Plaza near 60th Street and Fifth Avenue until August 3oth. “Studies for Desire Lines” will be on view until April 25th.

In The Studio: Two Exhibits at Gagosian

 

Pablo Picasso, L’Atelier (The Studio), 1928, oil and crayon on canvas
“In the Studio: Photographs” Installation view

“In The Studio” is a pair of exhibitions, at different Gagosian galleries, that focus on images of artists’ studios. The exhibit in Chelsea,“In the Studio: Paintings,” was curated by John Elderfield, Chief Curator Emeritus of Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art.

Georges Braque, Studio with Black Vase (L’atelier au vase noir), 1938 Oil on canvas
Alberto Giacometti, L’Atelier (The Studio), 1951 Oil on canvas
Robert Rauschenberg Small Rebus, 1956 Oil, pencil, paint swatches, paper, newspaper, magazine clippings, black-and-white photograph, map fragments, fabric, and three-cent stamps on canvas

The works span from the mid-sixteenth through the late twentieth centuries. There are over 50 paintings and works on paper by nearly 40 artists including: Georges Braque, Helen Frankenthaler, Alberto Giacometti, Jasper Johns, Henri Matisse, Robert Motherwell, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, and  Diego Rivera. Seeing this art in the gallery setting was a particularly thrilling experience. It was interesting to see the diversity of approaches to a common subject from such influential artists. And the gallery setting provided a much more intimate engagement with the pieces then one would have had in a museum.

Thomas Eakins, Two Pupils in Greek Dress, 1880s Platinum print
Constantin Brancusi, View of the studio: Plato, Mademoiselle Pogany II, and Golden Bird, c. 1920

The second exhibit, “In the Studio: Photographs,” is on view at the Gagosian Madison Avenue gallery. It includes over 150 photographs, spanning from the beginnings of photography to the late twentieth century.  Forty artists are represented, including: Richard Avedon, Walker Evans  Lee Friedlander, Lucas Samaras and Cindy Sherman. It was curated by Peter Galassi, former Chief Curator of Photography at The Museum of Modern. While I enjoyed the paintings more, the photographs on view are intriguing because of the unique approaches taken by the artists.

Both shows closed April 18th.

Chelsea Galleries, Instead of Museums, Christmas Week

If you live in New York, then I’d recommend avoiding the major museums during Christmas week. They will be very crowded with holiday visitors, making art viewing a real challenge. Instead, use the week to go visit some Chelsea galleries. There are some great shows on and these spaces won’t be jam-packed. Here are some suggestions:

“Jacqueline with flowers,” Pablo Picasso

Picasso & Jacqueline: The Evolution of Style – featuring nearly 140 works by Pablo Picasso. These were created during the last two decades of his life while living with Jacqueline Roque; first his “muse,” and eventually his wife.  Pace  Gallery 534 West 25th Street, through January 10, 2015.

Picasso & the Camera - Curated by John Richardson

“Picasso & the Camera”

Picasso & The Camera  – explores Picasso’s  use of photography as both an inspiration and as an integral part of his studio practice. Spanning sixty years, the show includes many photographs taken by Picasso but never before seen or published. The Gagosian Gallery, 522 West 21st through January 3, 2015.

kalman

Maira Kalman

Maira Kalman, My Favorite Things – selected gouache paintings in conjunction with her curated show Maira Selects, an inaugural exhibition at the newly renovated Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Julie Saul Gallery 535 West 22nd Street., through February 7, 2015.

Robert Motherwell

Robert Motherwell: Works on Paper 1951- 1991 – exploring four decades of the artist’s work in collages, drawings, and paintings.  Paul Kasmin Gallery, 515 West 27th Street through January 3, 2015.

Chameleon_Camoflage

Diana Copperwhite

“Shadowland,” Diana Copperwhite – abstract paintings by this Irish painter on view at 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel, 532 West 25th Street, through January 10, 2015.

Mikkel Carl, untitled

“On the Benefits of Delayed Gratification” –  group exhibition with artists Mikkel Carl, Steven Cox, and Russell Tyler. At the Ana Cristea Gallery, 521 West 26th Street through January 31, 2015.

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Julio Alan Lepez

Portraits Kit –  Colorful portraits and self-portraits in different mediums, by Argentinian artist Julio Alan Lepez. At the Artemisa Gallery, 530 West 25th, through January 27, 2015.

Gallery List

Gagosian Gallery 522 West 21st

Julie Saul Gallery 535 West 22nd

Artemisa Gallery 530 West 25th

532 Gallery 532 West 25th

Pace Gallery 534 West 25th

Ana Cristea Gallery 521 West 26th

Paul Kasmin Gallery 515 West 27th

Art Galleries of the Crown Building

crown buildingBuilt in 1921, The Crown Building at 730 Fifth Avenue was originally called the Hecksher Building after its developer August Hecksher, a German immigrant who made his wealth from mining operations. Famous for its golden top, the Art Deco tower was once owned by Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. Today, it’s back on the market for an estimated $1.5-2 billion dollars. Well-known tenants in the building include jewelers Bulgari and Mikimoto; the Spitzer family, headed by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer; talent and literary agency ICM; private-equity giants KKR and Apollo Global Management; and men’s designer Ermenegildo Zegna.

I think what makes this building interesting is the number of art galleries one can find throughout its floors. In some ways this isn’t surprising because it’s in this building that the Museum of Modern Art got its start in 1929.

Stoop Day, Andrew Wyeth. 1975
Adelson Galleries Wyeth Show

I went to 730 Fifth to see Andrew Wyeth: Seven Decades at the Adelson Galleries (7th floor) and Still Lifes: Reflections of American Culture at D. Wigmore Fine Art, Inc. (6th floor)

I was drawn to the Wyeth show after seeing Andrew Wyeth: Looking Out, Looking In, which recently closed, at the National Gallery of Art in DC. While the NGA exhibition focused on Wyeth’s window executions, primarily in watercolor and pencil; the ones here represent a range of subject matter for which Wyeth became internationally known: the male and female figure, landscape in all weather conditions, local architecture, and the flora and fauna that inhabited his two favorite places: Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and the coast of Maine. I enjoyed the DC exhibit more for Wyeth’s ability to catch hauntingly beautiful moments in time. But the Adelson exhibit provided a compelling counterpoint. The show will be there until December 20th.

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Still Lifes: Reflections of American Culture uses still life painting to demonstrate “the evolution of modernism in America after the 1913 Armory Show,” according to the gallery. Significantly, it was through the 1913 Armory Show that many American painters were first exposed to Cubism, and you can see that influence in many of the paintings on display. I was familiar with some of the artists, like  Max Weber, but there were many others whose work I had not seen before. The paintings are organized thematically — fruit, flowers, abstract objects —  and underscore how simple things can be so widely interpreted. There’s a wonderful essay about the exhibition on the gallery’s website, and available at the show, which is on view until January 31st.

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Other galleries worth visiting in the Crown Building are: The Benrimon Gallery (7th floor) which has an exhibition of works by Roy Lichtenstein; the Forum Gallery (2nd floor) which has a new exhibit opening December 12th of watercolors by David Levine; and the Nohra Haime gallery (7th floor) showing works by Julie Hedrick that are focused on “Alchemy,” and it’s relation to gold.

Check at the lobby desk for a complete list of the galleries found in the building and uncover your own New York art find.

El Anatsui

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My first encounter with Ghanan born artist, El Anatsui, was the 30 piece exhibition of his work at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, held in 2013. Since then, I’ve discovered pieces by this globally-renowned contemporary artist at both the Met and the MOMA. Now there’s a new opportunity to view Anatsui’s work in a more intimate environment at the Mnuchin Gallery on East 78th Street.

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Anatsui converts everyday materials, like aluminum and and copper wiring, into dramatic art .His pieces are influenced by traditions from his birth country, Ghana and his home in Nsukka, Nigeria. From afar Anatsui’s pieces look like textured paintings, but when examined closely, you can see his intricate handiwork in the carefully stitched together liquor bottle caps and labels.

El Anatsui, Detail from Anthem For A-Nu, 2014

El Anatsui, Detail from Anthem For A-Nu, 2014

The show at the Mnuchin Gallery is entitled, “Metas,”  In this entirely new body of work, notes the gallery, Anatsui replaces his characteristic bright colors and patterns with “dramatic cut-outs, dynamic diagonal lines, and geometric shapes demarcated by rich variances in surface textures.”

El Anatsui, Womb of Time, 2014

El Anatsui, Womb of Time, 2014

One of my favorite pieces of this show was a sculpture entitled, “Womb of Time.” Suspended from the ceiling, the piece can be experienced both from the outside and inside. Though it probably weighs quite a lot, the sculpture seems light and airy like an eggshell.

El Anatsui: Metas will be on view until December 13th.

Two Chances to See Wayne Thiebaud
Wayne Thiebaud "Cold Case" 2010/2011/2013

Wayne Thiebaud “Cold Case” 2010/2011/2013

There is something so enticing about a Wayne Thiebaud painting. Whether he is working in oil, pastel or charcoal, I always feel like the pictures are good enough to eat! The 93-year old artist seems never to stop making art. Forty-nine works are now on view at the Acquavella Galleries on the upper east side. Many of them have been created in the last five years and have not been seen before.

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The works in the exhibition re-visit recurring themes in Thiebaud’s work, like confections, pastries and other ordinary objects. The exhibition also includes  landscapes of California, where he has lived his whole life. His oil paintings are textured and his color choices are bright and optimistic.  “This exhibition is a testament to his unique ability to illuminate the everyday and elevate the ordinary,” commented Eleanor Acquavella.

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There were several art works that caught my attention . One was an ink drawing; a medium I don’t normally associate with Thiebaud.  I loved the way his sparse lines conveyed a whole story about a man with 2 baguettes. Another was a pastel drawing of “Ten Candies.” It was only after looking closely did I realize it wasn’t paint. As a pastel dabbler, I really appreciated the color nuances he was able to extract from the pastels. “Cupcakes & Donuts” was an interesting piece because of the various media Thiebaud  used to create it.  At the bottom of the work he wrote: “Unique trial proof hand-tinted with India Ink, watercolor, gouache and pastel on paper.” The effect is a much darker palette than his other pastry works. I liked the outcome.

Wayne Thiebaud

Wayne Thiebaud

The Thiebaud exhibit at Acquavella  is on view until November 21st. Opening at the Allan Stone Projects gallery on October 23rd are “Wayne Thiebaud In Black and White,” and  “Prints By Wayne Thiebaud.”

Derrik Adams: LIVE and IN COLOR on the UES
Derrick Adams Sculpture from LIVE and IN COLOR

Derrick Adams Sculpture from LIVE and IN COLOR

Bold colors, clean lines, and simplistic images draw you in as you wander through “LIVE and IN COLOR. ” The two floor exhibit, now on view at the Tilton Gallery on East 76th Street,  features the work of the multidisciplinary artist,  Derrick Adams.

Derrick Adams, They All Want Cake, 2014
Derrick Adams, They All Want Cake, 2014, detail

While Adams works in performance, painting, sculpture and music; this show has both wood sculptures and large-scale mixed media collage. According to the Tilton Gallery, the work is meant to capture “the bold character-dramatizations of black figures in entertainment. Stills and screen captures from sitcoms, music videos, news and stand-up are the point of departure for the work and are used mainly for reference and inspiration,”

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While I enjoyed looking at the sculptures, I was more drawn to the collages. Each collage piece Adams used was very simple. Yet taken as a whole, created a complex image that drew you in to examine it more carefully.

The exhibit will be on view through October 18th.

Gagosian Gallery: More Intimate Museum Like Experience

gagosian_gallery.310wide

Owned and directed by Larry Gagosian, the Gagosian Gallery began with one location, in Los Angeles, in 1979. Now, it is a global enterprise with 15 locations around the world, including 6 gallery locations in New York —  in Chelsea,  on the Upper East Side and at Rockefeller Center. The exhibitions you find there are diverse and the experience of visiting is museum level but more intimate.

 

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Recently, I went to the gallery at 980 Madison Avenue  to see paintings by Helen Frankenthaler (on view until October 18). I wasn’t very familiar with her work but was attracted to the abstract color images used to promote the exhibit. According to the gallery, “the exhibition focuses on a brief but critical period in Frankenthaler’s career during 1962-63, when she ‘composed with color’ rather than with line..,” Of particular interest to me were a series of paintings — “Filter, Gulf Stream and Moat (all 1963)” — that include imprints of the floorboards at Frankenthaler’s studio.

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While at the gallery, I also visited an Ed Ruscha exhibit — prints and photographs of the past forty years. While more familiar with Ruscha, an American artist associated with the Pop Art movement, I had never seen an in depth look at his work. The prints were simple, elegant and playful. Among my favorites were “Bowl,” from 1974, and “Carp With Fly,” from 1969. I also enjoyed a series of 12 Los Angeles “Roof Top Views” — photographs taken by Ruscha in 1961 and then again in 2003. There are many other photographs and prints that underscore Ruscha’s diversity and creativity.

The Ruscha exhibit is only on view until September 27th.

Hockney at Pace Gallery

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Contemplative yet joyful, The Arrival of Spring is a new exhibit at the Pace Gallery on West 25th Street which features recent prints, drawings and videos by David Hockney. All the art work in the exhibition was inspired by the gradual change from winter to spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire. Hockney spent two summers there as a teenager, working on a farm nearby. He returned to Yorkshire in 1999, after years of living in Los Angeles.

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The first rooms you enter at the Pace gallery are filled with charcoal drawings Hockney did in Woldgate between January and May 2013. “They are five separate views of Woldgate, and with each one I had to wait for the changes to happen. Some were too close to the previous ones and I realised I was being impatient. I had to wait for bigger change. I thought it was an exciting thing to do. It made me look harder at what I was drawing,” noted Hockney in his artist statement.

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What I found truly spectacular were the works Hockney created on his iPad. Each work, bursting with color, depicts a specific day between January 1 and May 231st 2011. While the charcoal drawings are very detailed with fine lines, with the iPad drawings Hockney took a different approach. “These were drawn knowing they would be printed a certain size. The mark making is very varied for this reason.”

The exhibit will be on view until November 1st. Don’t miss it.

Bard Graduate Center: Art and Design From Colombia

 

 

bardThe Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture, is a  research institute of Bard College on West 86th street that opened in New York City in 1993. Of particular interest to an art lover is the  gallery affiliated with the graduate center. Located down the block in a lovely brownstone, the gallery presents two exhibitions annually, curated by members of the faculty, staff, or curatorial consultants with specialized expertise.

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On view now is a visually exciting exhibition called, “Waterweavers: The River in Contemporary Colombian Visual and Material Culture.”  The exhibit, according to the Bard, ” uses the trope of the river as a conceptual device to explore the intricate ways in which culture and nature intertwine across disciplines.”  Seventeen artists, designers and craftspeople are represented with work ranging from the practical, like woven chairs and rugs, to the abstract, like an installation featuring papers and fibers dyed with natural pigments.

It was a bit challenging learning what each piece was because there are no descriptions posted on the walls. The Bard provides a very detailed brochure to read while viewing the pieces. Unfortunately the print was tiny and the lighting not conducive to reading. Nonetheless, there is plenty to take in visually without the background.

“Waterweavers” is on view until August 10th. Don’t miss it.