Photo By Gail
This is what I feel like at end of long and grueling week at the day gig. Here, we see that feeling manifested in bronze sculpture by artist Tom Otterness, as part of his urban fantasy sculpture series, Life Underground, found throughout the 8th Avenue and 14th Street Subway station in downtown Manhattan.
Photo By Gail
Life Underground is the name of a series of whimsical bronze sculptures by artist Tom Otterness, which have inhabited the 8th Avenue and 14th Street Subway Station since 2001. The sculptures can be found all along the platforms for the A, C and E Trains and also the L Train, as well as literally all over the station. This sculpture of an anthropomorphic pay telephone is installed on one side of a support beam on the Uptown A, C and E platform.
Synthesa Gallery View, All Photos By Gail
Mere seconds after entering Lehmann Maupin gallery for Erwin Wurm’s latest sculpture exhibit, Synthesa, we were already smiling from ear to ear. We first became acquainted with Wurm’s delightful sense of humor when his sculpture Big Kastenmann had its residency at the Standard Hotel in October of 2012, so it was lots of fun to experience an entire gallery full of works that express the Austrian artist’s unique world view.
White Bucket (Synthesa), 2013
Synthesa is comprised of three new sculptural bodies of work. Those within the title series of the exhibition, Synthesa, continue Wurm’s investigations of volume and abstraction of the human form. For these works, the artist works with the classical figure in the manner of a traditional sculptor yet drastically deconstructs and contorts each shape, inserting unexpected ready-made objects to further the abstraction.
Continue reading Erwin Wurm’s Synthesa at Lehmann Maupin
Mademoiselle Pogany II By Constantin Brancusi (All Photos By Gail)
Paul Kasmin Gallery’s current offering is Brancusi in New York 1913 – 2013, an exhibition of significant works from the Estate collection of Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi. The show celebrates Brancusi’s 100th Anniversary in New York following his debut at the Armory Show in 1913, where Brancusi exhibited five works that directed modern sculpture on a radical new path.
Housed at the 27th Street location of the Kasmin Gallery, Brancusi in New York includes five bronze masterpieces by Brancusi: Head, Mademoiselle Pogany II, The Newborn, Sleeping Muse II and Fish; all presented in a contemporary context as a testament to Brancusi’s continued relevance in today’s art world.
The Newborn
Sleeping Muse
Fish
In the gallery’s rear room, there’s a beautiful collection of black and white photographs of several pieces you see in the exhibit. The photos’ monochromatic, matte finishes stand in striking contrast to the highly reflective surfaces of the bronze works. There are also a pair of inspirational quotes attributed to Brancusi painted directly on the gallery walls. This is a nice touch.
A fully illustrated catalogue, Brancusi in New York 1913 – 2013, published by Assouline, chronicles the sculptor’s success in New York City and his impact on its artistic social environment. The exhibition was produced in partnership with the Brancusi Estate and is curated by Jérôme Neutres, who is the catalogue’s author.
The Brancusi exhibit will be up into the beginning of January 2o14, so you have a decent amount of time to see it, but with the hectic pace of the holidays nearly upon us, don’t wait too long and risk missing what could be a once in lifetime treat!
Brancusi in New York 1913 – 2013 will be on Exhibit Through January 11, 2014 at the Paul Kasmin Gallery, located at 515 West 27th Street, Chelsea Gallery District, New York.
Pace Gallery is currently hosting its first exhibition of Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, who joined the gallery in 2011. The exhibition features new paintings, bronze sculptures and works on paper.
I liked his paintings more than the large bronze sculptures. Here are a couple of my favorites from Friday night’s opening reception. Continue reading Yoshitomo Nara at Pace Gallery