by Emily Colucci on October 21, 2016
Some exhibitions raise more questions than they answer. Take Sam McKinniss’ current show Egyptian Violet at team (gallery, inc.), which presents a sense of unease and potential for violence in his fan boy paintings of celebrities and movie characters. The subject matter is thoughtfully curated and carefully painted and yet, it is still difficult to pin down McKinniss’ exact critique. Is it a general representation of our anxiety-ridden era in 2016? A statement, à la A.L. Steiner’s 30 Days of Mo:)rning, about how everything is going wrong at once? A critique of the vacuity of pop culture? A death obsession? Or is there no real social critique at all? I left the show with no clear answer.
Read the full article →
by Michael Anthony Farley on October 10, 2016
Finally, a week in New York City where there’s at least one totally worthwhile, low-key art event every night without too many #FOMO -inducing major scheduling conflicts. We’ve picked out the best of the best, including such different activities as a pop-up opening party at Babycastles with a Kawaii nail art bar on Monday night and an artist talk from painter Keltie Ferris at the New York Studio School on Tuesday.
Wednesday, check out Lauren Marsolier’s suburban surrealestate at Galerie Richard, and Thursday night head to the West SoHo zone for solo shows from Sam McKinniss and Philip Vanderhyden at Team Gallery and Mumbo’s Outfit, respectively. Friday gets a little more hectic, with an exhibition of the late, great Tetsumi Kudo’s work at Andrea Rosen, an architectural “performance” from Gabrielle Mertz at the LES’s former PS160, and a group show about intimacy and craft at 315 Gallery in Brooklyn.
Saturday, two group shows open in a former Pfizer plant on Flushing Ave (where we expect artists to take full advantage of the post-industrial setting) and Sunday Pierogi has a solo show of drawings by John O’Connor. What a good week, and just think—you’ll have bomb nails for all of it.
Read the full article →
