Contemporary depictions of the female form, abstract expressionist drawings and paintings, imaginative color photography and an installation exploring the relationship between sight and sound have all made our picks of new stand-out exhibitions opening in NYC this week. Shows open on the Lower East Side and in Chelsea through October 30, 2016.
Salon 94: “Marilyn Minter”
“Marilyn Minter” has an Opening Reception on Thursday, October 27, 2016 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Salon 94 Bowery on the Lower East Side. The exhibition remains on view through December 22, 2016.
In this exhibition, Marilyn Minter takes on the classical theme of the bather and the period of drastic art historical change characterized by the new role of the female nude and "the gaze" represented in works such as Édouard Manet’s Olympia (1863) and Gustave Courbet’ s L’Origine du Monde (1866). Her large-scale paintings take cues from the 19th and early 20th century realism of the avant-garde.
In 2014, Minter was commissioned by Playboy to take up-close photographs of a group of models' au naturel pubic hair. After the shoot was rejected by the magazine, the photographs were picked up by publishing company Fulton Ryder and published in the artist book Plush. The book, which celebrates the natural form of the female nude without any digital retouching, inspired the new series of paintings on view in this show.
For this series, Minter re-photographed the models from the original shoot using a steamy pane of glass that suggests a shower while straying away from the specificity of a room. Through the use of Photoshop, the artist combines elements from the negatives to create new images that are later used as the source imagery for the final paintings. The resulting works reveal intimate moments from the private lives of women and evoke freedom and empowerment.
Salon 94 Bowery is located at 243 Bowery, New York, NY, 10002. www.salon94.com.
Click here for exhibition details.
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"Thigh Gap" by Marilyn Minter, 2016. Image Courtesy of Marilyn Minter and Salon 94.
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Cheim & Read: “Joan Mitchell: Drawing Into Painting”
“Joan Mitchell: Drawing Into Painting” has an Opening Reception on Thursday, October 27, 2016 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Cheim & Read in Chelsea. The exhibition remains on view through December 23, 2016.
"Drawing Into Painting" is a survey of abstract expressionist Joan Mitchell's works on canvas and paper from 1958 through 1992, the year of the artist’s death. The artist saw the acts of drawing and painting as related, but ultimately independent. Her oil paintings can be as airy as her watercolors, and her pastel drawings are sometimes as dense as traditional oil paintings. The exhibition includes art from each decade of Mitchell's career.
Cheim & Read is located at 547 W 25th St, New York, NY 10001. www.cheimread.com.
Click here for exhibition details.
David Zwirner: “William Eggleston: Selected Works from The Democratic Forest”
“William Eggleston: Selected Works from The Democratic Forest” has an Opening Reception on Thursday, October 27, 2016 from 6 to 8 p.m. at David Zwirner in Chelsea. A guided tour of the exhibition with Mark Holborn will be held at 5:30 p.m. The exhibition remains on view through December 17, 2016.
This show includes over 40 works from William Eggleston’s monumental project The Democratic Forest. The artist is known for his photographs that transform ordinary subject matter into distinct, poetic images through his distinct use of color, form and composition. The Democratic Forest, one of Eggleston's most ambitious projects, is comprised of a selection of works from over ten thousand negatives shot in the mid-1980s across the southern and eastern parts of America and in several European countries. Subjects include rural back roads, parking lots, restaurant interiors and more. The highly imaginative color images redefined what a photographic image could be in the age of photographic reportage and black-and-white fine art photography.
David Zwirner is located at 537 W 20th St, New York, NY 10011.
Click here for exhibition details.
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"Untitled from "The Democratic Forest" by William Eggleston, c. 1983-1986. © Eggleston Artistic Trust. Courtesy David Zwirner, New York/London.
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Paul Kasmin Gallery: “Iván Navarro: Mute Parade”
“Iván Navarro: Mute Parade” opens on Wednesday, October 26, 2016 with an Opening Reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at Paul Kasmin Gallery's 293 10th Avenue location in Chelsea. The exhibition remains on view through December 23, 2016.
For "Mute Parade," Chilean-born artist Iván Navarro transforms the gallery into a synesthetic environment. Navarro is known for his use of light, sound and language to address issues of power, migration and propaganda.
In one gallery space, viewers encounter the Impenetrable Room, a labyrinth of six 6 x 6 foot structures created with cases traditionally used to transport musical instruments. The cases were re-fitted with mirrors and neon light, resulting in deep spaces that seem to recede toward infinity and resonate with unspoken power.
In an adjacent gallery stands 6 foot diameter drums that feature neon, LED lights, mirrors and electricity. Endless loops of circular statements written in light interact with the structures. Works in this room act as visual representations of sound while negating the original function of the instruments. The installation explores the relationship between seeing and hearing.
“Iván Navarro: Mute Parade” is exhibited at Paul Kasmin Gallery, 293 10th Ave, New York, NY 10001. Click here for exhibition details. At Paul Kasmin Gallery's next door, "Claude Laanne: Bijoux" opens at 297 10th Avenue, presenting the artist’s inaugural jewelry exhibition. www.paulkasmingallery.com.
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