A glimpse of Bushwick: SCHEMA / TSA / TRANSMITTER

Exhibits featured in this post:
SCHEMA PROJECTS:   Peregrinations, Constellations
TSA:  Generative Processes
TRANSMITTER:  6x6 

With the latest installment of Bushwick's Beat Nite just a few days away (Friday, March 6) here is a preview of 3 exhibits in the area.

SCHEMA PROJECTS: Peregrinations, Constellations
through March 29        92 St. Nicholas Ave (L train to DeKalb) 
This splendid group exhibit, ably curated by Jeanne Heifetz, features works on paper by 13 artists who engage in repeated mark-making-- the marks are drawn, painted, stitched, torn, stamped or typed. The resulting drawings are a reflection of extended conversations between the marks and the mark-makers. Ranging in scale from intimate to wall-size, they merit close looking to take in the richness of the surfaces and density of the marks. Whether executed through an intuitive process or one that is directed, whether the work begins with a desire for control or is a surrender to the unknown, each of these drawings offers a mesmerizing aggregation of a sequence of moments.  Images courtesy of Schema Projects.
 

SHARYN O'MARA  Untitled 6518, 2015   Ink on vellum   9.75" x 8.25"

COLLEEN HO  Tributary, 2014  ripped paper drawing   22 x 30"

EMILY BARLETTA    Untitled (Big Mountain), 2011   thread and paper   18 x 24"

PAULA OVERBAY    Buzz, 2012   acrylic on paper   18 x 25"

CLINT FULKERSON  Accretion Disc 16, 2015   graphite, ink, and acrylic on paper on wood panel   9 x 9"

MIA ROSENTHAL   Francoluigi’s Square Tomato Pie Slice #1, 2014    Ink on paper   7.75" X 7.75"

The exhibit includes works by:  Emily Barletta, Janice Casell, Clint Fulkerson, Colleen Ho, Sarah Morejohn, Sharyn O'Mara, Paula Overbay, Jessica Rosner, Mia Rosenthal, Karen Schiff, Drew Shiflett, Allyson Strafella, Robert Walden

 
TSA:  Generative Processes  |   Alex Paik & Debra Ramsay
through March 29          1329 Willoughby Avenue #2A (L train to Jefferson)

Alex Paik & Debra Ramsay each work within the constraints of a personal and highly systematic practice. And both find that those very constraints free them to manipulate and reconfigure elements of their choosing.

DEBRA RAMSAY began her project, Landscape as Time, during a residency in upstate NY. She walked the same trail in the woods through the seasons, photographically documenting the colors at specific spots along the trail as well as recording the length of the day. Ramsay then selected data from the photographs and mixed colors using a computer application. Although relying on a rigorous, yet in many ways arbitrary system, Ramsay's decisions about how to convey this accumulated data gave rise to a body of work that is inviting, light-filled and evocative. 

DEBRA RAMSAY  detail: Color changes in the forest, during one year, at the same location, 2015    acrylic on Juan silk      6 " x 12'9"

DEBRA RAMSAY  Color changes in the forest, during one year, at the same location, 2015    acrylic on Juan silk      6 " x 12' 9"

DEBRA RAMSAY  top: The days grow longer in the spring, 2014   bottom: The days grow shorter in the fall, 2014           acrylic on Dura-Lar       each 20 x 61"

   
ALEX PAIK cites his study of classical music as in influence in how he develops his work. Much in the way a composer takes a musical motif and "it is repeated, turned upside-down, transposed, and folded upon itself," Paik selects a geometric unit and then manipulates it through repetition, changes in color and orientation, and gradually shapes the elements into a larger whole.

ALEX PAIK     V (Greens), 2014     gouache, colored pencil, paper       26 x 16 x 3"

 

ALEX PAIK     Modular Wall Installation: Hexagon (Cube)    gouache, colored pencil, paper, nails       dimensions variable

detail of above

TRANSMITTER:   6 x 6
through March 29          1329 Willoughby Avenue #2A (L train to Jefferson)
6x6 features the work of 6 artists, each chosen by a different member of the Transmitter curatorial collective in an arbitrary but systematic manner. While the curatorial conceit may not lend itself to obvious conversations between these artists, there is however, plenty to see. Images courtesy of Transmitter.

JEFF FELD is represented with a group of small (8x10") mixed media wall pieces as well as a larger sculpture. The work has formal elements as well as a sense of play. 

JEFF FELD    Untitled, 2012   mixed media on paper  8 x 10"

JEFF FELD    Untitled, 2012   mixed media on paper  8 x 10"

JEFF FELD    The intention is pure and so on, 2009 - 2012      38 x 44 x 30"

SANDRA ONO offers two intensely tactile sculptures-- the  draped forms of the wall piece (foil and glue) have an organic quality, while the floor piece has a dense and tarry presence.

SANDRA ONO    Untitled (1405), 2014    Foil and glue    14 x 13 x 2"

SANDRA ONO    Untitled (1403), 2014      30 x 30 x 7

A first look at LYNN SULLIVAN's sculptures suggest ancient creatures, but the titles (Wrapped Ships) reflect both their starting point and the transformation that has taken place. 

LYNN SULLIVAN    Wrapped Ships (3), 2013   plaster, paper pulp, ship models, cement blocks   34 x 14 x 11"

The exhibit includes work by: John Bohl, Jeff Feld, Skye Gilkerson, Sandra Ono, Erik Shane Swanson, and Lynn Sullivan.

Kellyann Burns and Siri Berg: Two approaches to geometric abstraction

It is of course not news that there has always been great diversity within the arena of geometric abstraction. Informed by the work of Mondrian and Malevich, generations of painters and sculptors have worked with the vocabulary of geometric shapes to convey their ideas about spatial relationships and color, as well as notions of time and spirituality. While some artists within this tradition have chosen to remove evidence of the making (creating uninflected surfaces with hard-edged forms), others have partnered geometry with lush and more painterly approaches. Some artists developed pattern-based systems for developing their compositions, while others have relied on intuition in developing their ideas. The work ranges in scale from intimate to monumental and may present as cerebral or celebratory. Clearly, the universe of geometric abstraction  encompasses a wide range of expressive possibilities.

Two exhibits currently on view in Lower East Side galleries offer a glimpse of different approaches within the realm of geometric abstraction and make evident the limits of trying to define this tradition in simple terms. At the end of the post are links to additional resources about geometric abstraction.


KELLYANN BURNS     [McKenzie Fine Art through February 8] 
In an exhibit of approximately twenty paintings (completed in 2013-2014), Burns offers boldly hued, hard-edged abstraction imbued with complex history. She incorporates a variety of geometric forms into compositions with diverse spatial implications. The exhibit features several groupings of intimately sized paintings (10 x 8") as well as larger pieces (up to 60 x 60"). While each painting has been sanded to a smooth finish, its surface has richness and depth. Large areas of the surface are matte, while other areas are glossy. A close viewing often reveals underlayers that have been exposed by the repeated sanding. The edges of the paintings are uneven and rich with accumulated layers of paint, another way that Burns shares some of the history of the making.   Images courtesy McKenzie Fine Art.

KELLYANN BURNS   3:18 PM 9/22/14, 2014    Oil on alu-dibond    60 x 60"

KELLYANN BURNS   11:22 AM  5/22/13, 2013    Oil on alu-dibond    40 x 30"

KELLYANN BURNS   2:09 PM  2/14/14, 2014    Oil on alu-dibond    48 x 48"

KELLYANN BURNS   12:40 AM  9/18/14, 2014    Oil on alu-dibond    10 x 8"

KELLYANN BURNS   10:42 AM  9/16/14, 2014    Oil on alu-dibond    9 x 10"

 

KELLYANN BURNS   11:03 AM  9/01/14, 2014    Oil on alu-dibond    10 x 10"

SIRI BERG:  Color and Space    [Hionas Gallery through February 7]
Color and Space focuses on two series of Berg's paintings and works on paper from the 1970s and 1980s. Berg, who is now in her nineties, has long worked with themes and variations, selecting geometric forms and systematically engaging in extended explorations. This is geometric abstraction with an emphasis on symmetry along with variations in color. In developing a series, Berg produces numerous small works on paper, repeating and manipulating the formal compositions as she modifies the palette. In contrast with the paintings of Burns, Berg's compositions and her application of paint are minimalist, and quickly reveal their essence to the viewer.  

La Ronde, a series from the late 1960s through the 1970s, features semi-circles set into a square, sometimes singly but often in a sequence. The palette of the series ranges from muted to brightly colored. Kabbalah (1980s) is an exploration of the square with more subdued and subtle color variations. According to the gallery press release, Berg was working with elements of color, space and form to connect with the rule of ten (derived from the Kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism).   Images courtesy Hionas Gallery.

SIRI BERG   La Ronde, 1971    Oil on paper    20 x 20"

SIRI BERG   La Ronde, 1972  Acrylic on Masonite    34 x 34"

SIRI BERG   La Ronde, 1972    Acrylic on masonite

SIRI BERG   Study for Kaballah, 11 x 8.5 inches, oil on paper

SIRI BERG   Study for Kaballah, 11 x 8.5 inches, oil on paper

SIRI BERG   Kaballah, 1982   oil on canvas    30 x 60"

For additional information on geometric abstraction:
Geoform is a website featuring paintings by several hundred contemporary artists as well as in depth interviews. 
The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History offers a brief overview of the genesis of geometric abstraction. 

Current and recent exhibits including geometric abstraction:
A Few Conversations about Color @ DM Contemporary CLICK HERE for catalog (up through February 28)
Ward Jackson: Black & White Diamonds @ Minus Space (September 2014)
Doppler Shift @ the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey   (September 2014 - January 2015)

Martin Puryear at Mathew Marks

Stand amidst the sculptures of Martin Puryear and you are aware that he is one of the few living artists whose work consistently communicates wit and visual eloquence. On exhibit at Matthew Marks (through January 10, 2015) are ten recent sculptures executed in a variety of woods and metals. Although these pieces do not have the monumental impact of works in his 2007 exhibit at MOMA, they are enormously satisfying.  Puryear's devotion to craftsmanship is evident in the meticulous and elegant realization of each piece. His manipulation of materials serves to expand our expectations of their properties, while his manipulations of a single form suggest new ways of seeing it. In this exhibit, Puryear takes the form of the Phrygian cap (more on this below) and offers it up whole and in parts--sensuous, obstinate, uncertain, decorative.

Begin with Up and Over, a modestly sized piece in cast ductile iron. The form is organic, almost anthropomorphic, as it curves over and presses tightly against itself. There is a tenderness to this piece that completely subverts the hardness of the iron. I find it captivating from every vantage point.  
 

UP AND OVER  2014   cast ductile iron    18 5/8 x 26 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches

 

Contrast that with Big Phrygian in the next room. It is a hulking piece of painted red cedar that sits heavily and unyielding. Constructed from multiple layers of wood veneer, it is stubborn in its redness and has a cartoonish quality to the shape. Nothing about it entices me to linger. Yet when I draw close, I see the irregularities in its surface, perhaps a hint of vulnerability. This piece also represents the most overt representation of the Phrygian cap (see more on this below).

BIG PHRYGIAN  2010-2014   Painted red cedar   58 x 40 x 76 inches

Another of the variations on the form is evident in the open network of Untitled, one of the larger pieces on exhibit. In this piece, although the saplings have been bent and tied together, Puryear has left the wood in its most natural state.

UNTITLED  2014   Hardwood saplings, cordage   174 1/2 x 148 x 52 inches

Puryear is known for his exquisite craftsmanship with wood and in this exhibit he puts his skills on display. He makes use of a variety of woods (among them tulip poplar, pine, ash, holly, ebony, yellow cedar, and red cedar). Puryear works the wood to various effects -- in several pieces, paper thin layers of wood are joined into curving forms, while elsewhere, thicker pieces of wood are joined to build torqued arches and bulbous volumes. 

CASCADE, 2013  Alaskan yellow cedar,  66 x 54 3/4 x 17 inches

CASCADE  detail

QUESTION  2010,  Tulip poplar, pine, ash     90 x 109 1/4 x 34 1/2 inches

QUESTION  detail

PHRYGIAN PLOT  2012   Inlaid holly and black dyed veneer   60 x 74 x 4 inches

Puryear paints some of his pieces, some to a delicate and organic effect as seen in Shell Game, in others (as in Big Phrygian) with a heavy intensity, and in still others (such as Faux Phrygian), his brilliant colors serve to emphasize the geometry of the forms.

SHELL GAME  2014   Tulip poplar, milk paint    56 1/4 x 72 x 9 1/2 inches

Puryear's wit can be seen in how he titles each piece. The word cascade generally evokes a powerful downpour, while Puryear's Cascade is delicate and turns back up on itself, defying the downward pull. Rather than concealing something, as usually occurs in a shell game, his Shell Game is cut open to reveal its hollowed out and delicately painted innards. Puryear pulls out all the stops with Faux Vitrine, a display case that tilts in such a way that anything placed on its shelves would slide right off.  Approach it from the another side and this colorfully painted piece morphs into something else entirely--devoid of color and optically confusing with shelves of polished stainless steel. Many people in the gallery did a double-take, perhaps thinking they were looking at two different sculptures.

FAUX VITRINE  2014   Mirror polished stainless steel, curly maple, black walnut, marine plywood, Japan color     73 3/4 x 46 1/2 x 40 3/4 inches

 























Another element of Puryear's work is its political/historic content. Historic references were noticeably present in several of the pieces in the retrospective at MOMA. (For more about that as well as other insights into Puryear's work, read sections of John Yau's recent article in Hyperallergic).    

In this exhibit, the Phrygian cap (also called a 'liberty cap') is a recurrent reference point. This soft, conical cap, often depicted in red, first appeared in antiquity and can be seen in Greek sculpture and vase paintings. It was also associated with a felt cap worn by emancipated slaves of ancient Rome. Later worn by the sans-culottes during the French Revolution, it signifies freedom and liberty. (For the trivia nerds among you, the Phrygian cap also appears in the coat of arms of Haiti, the Seal of the US Senate, the War Office seal of the US Army, on several state flags and in the coat of arms of Argentina. Small images appear at the end of this post.)   

In the press release for this exhibit, Puryear states "Although I was certainly aware of numerous depictions of this cap in European and early American art when I began work on the Big Phrygian sculpture, I only discovered the engraved image of the black man wearing the read Phrygian cap.... years afterwards." The engraving, which dates from 1794 when slavery was first abolished in France, includes the caption "Moi libre aussi" (I am free too).

The cap appears in its most visually explicit form in the large, red Big Phrygian. With Shackle, Puryear combines a reference to the shape of the cap with a ring evoking the chains which shackled the slaves. Executed in iron, the sculpture is small but emphatic, with a subtly textured surface. 

SHACKLED  2014   Iron   27 1/2 x 30 5/8 x 8 3/8 inches

While clearly referencing both the historic symbolism of the Phrygian cap as well as its shape, perhaps Puryear is also making a personal statement about his freedom as an artist.  But whether or not you choose to consider his intentions, go see this exhibit for the joy of his artistry.  


A selection of Phrygian caps in art and politics .......

  

Altoon Sultan | McKenzie Fine Art

After following Sultan’s work for several years via her blog and FB, I was delighted to see the exhibition at McKenzie Fine Art in New York (up through November 16).  I first wrote about Sultan’s work two years ago here, highlighting her prints (potato and cardboard) and textiles (hooked wool drawings and textiles), which demonstrated her facility working with simple forms and at times pedestrian materials to produce bold and playful images.   

Sultan is an artist whose work cannot be neatly categorized, whether one considers her imagery or the medium. Rather than confining herself to one primary direction, she pursues several parallel bodies of work. What they all share is her pursuit of elegant geometry, subtle use of color, as well as her expertise and delight in the process of making. 

SULTAN, Curves and Square, 2013   Egg tempera on parchment stretched over wood panel    6 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches

  

This show, which includes nearly thirty pieces, offers quite an array of work by this versatile artist – intimate paintings executed in egg tempera, drawings on hand-toned paper, and hooked wool wall textiles.  Although linked by her attention to balancing form and color, each medium offers Sultan a different expressive vocabulary. It is also clear that for Sultan, preparing the materials is an engaging and meaningful part of her practice. The egg tempera paintings are executed on calfskin parchment stretched over wood panels; she hand dyes the wool for the textiles, and hand-tones the paper for her drawings.

The hooked wool textiles are the most reductive and visually striking of all Sultan’s works.  While the geometric forms are bold, the hooking process yields a rich surface texture comprised of numerous small strokes, gently undermining the minimalist sensibility of the compositions. Additionally, the size of each ‘stitch’ is such that the forms are often imperfect, with irregular edges. Although Sultan sometimes dips into illusionist space in this body of work, most of the textiles are strong figure/ground compositions. So while many of her textiles give a hat tip to Russian constructivism, those formal inclinations are balanced with a bit of whimsy.  (It is unfortunate that only five of Sultan's textiles are included in the exhibit, not giving them the presence they deserve).

SULTAN, Red Bars, 2014   Hand-dyed wool on linen    12 x 10 inches

SULTAN, Blue Arc, 2014   Hand-dyed wool on linen    25 3/4 x 12 inches

The drawings (egg tempera and graphite) on hand-toned paper seem to reflect another aspect of Sultan’s aesthetic—and I find viewing them to be somewhat spiritual, not unlike the meditative effect of Tantric drawings. In various interviews, Sultan mentions that this body of work was prompted by time spent at the Islamic wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Sultan tones the papers in hues ranging from subdued to saturated, and each sheet is rich with the irregularities of the dying process. Along with the overlay of painted forms, the networks of intersecting circles (drawn in graphite) remain quietly visible, hinting at the many possible directions inherent in each piece. These drawings have an air of mystery and merit slow looking.

 

 

SULTAN, #5, 2012   Egg tempera and graphite on hand-toned paper   15 x 15 inches

SULTAN, #31, 2014   Egg tempera and graphite on hand-toned paper   15 x 15 inches

SULTAN, #9, 2014   Egg tempera and graphite on hand-toned paper   15 x 15 inches

Sultan’s very intimate paintings (several as small as 6 x 8") are derived from her photographs of farm machinery, and focus on the geometry of the forms. By zooming in and closely cropping her images, she essentially rules out a consideration of subject matter. Rather, Sultan concentrates on capturing light and shadows, and juxtaposing small elements of these machine-made implements against one another, all in service to the composition. Yes, there is light and shadow -- pointing to depth and illusion, yet these are not depictions of objects. The irregular silhouettes of the shadows add a bit of surprise and spatial ambiguity to the compositions. Elements of the man-made world have been distilled and transformed into elegant, carefully balanced abstractions.

 

SULTAN, Blue Verticals, 2014   Egg tempera on parchment stretched over wood panel    8 1/4  x 6 1/8 inches

SULTAN, Light Fingers, 2014   Egg tempera on parchment stretched over wood panel    6 x 8  inches

SULTAN, Red Hose, 2014   Egg tempera on parchment stretched over wood panel    6 1/4 x 8 1/4 inches

SULTAN, Linked, 2014   Egg tempera on parchment stretched over wood panel    5 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches

Click here to read a 2013 interview with Sultan, conducted by Jeff Hogue on Figure/Ground.