Last week, our Associate Director, Kaylee Hennessey, joined members of Gallery NAGA for a trip to New York City to see how some Chelsea galleries were heading into 2022. As gallerists and curators, it is always important for us to know what is going on in the world and to see what fellow galleries have on view. A continuation of the celebration of figurative work, craft, and vibrant color were prominent elements across the neighborhood. Here are our takeaways for the year’s fresh start.
Installation view: Jennifer Packer, The Eye Is Not Satisfied With Seeing at the Whitney Museum of American Art (on view: Oct. 30, 2021 - April 17, 2022) Artwork pictured: Blessed Are Those Who Mourn (Breonna! Breonna!)
Gallery wall of Jennifer Packer’s figurative paintings, Whitney Museum of American Art.
Our first stop was the Whitney Museum of American Art, where we worked our way down four floors of exhibition space. The top floor hosted a solo exhibition of fiercely colorful paintings by Jennifer Packer, featuring over 30 works from the past decade. I was very drawn to her figurative works above all. Packer weaves her subjects through the compositions, often abstracting features or sections of the body in a dreamy wash omitting detail, while features like the hands and feet are beautifully rendered in full detail, highlighting her technical abilities.
This was a standout exhibition, and a fantastic start to a great day of gallery hopping.
Liza Lou at the Whitney Museum of American Art
A few floors down, Making Knowing: Craft in Art, 1950-2019, yielded a satisfyingly textural collection of artworks featuring decades of material exploration and visibly process-driven pieces. Rounding the corner towards the end of the exhibit put me face to face with Liza Lou’s Kitchen, a piece I have personally long-admired but had yet to experience in person. Created between 1991-96, Liza Lou’s life sized, 168-square-foot kitchen is “a tribute to the unsung labor of women throughout time” (Whitney). Covered in millions of glass beads, one could spend hours examining the details and still manage to see something new with each glance.
Liza Lou’s Kitchen, 1991-96. On view at the Whitney Museum of American Art through February 20, 2022.
James Castle at David Zwirner: On view through February 12, 2022
On the top floor of David Zwirner’s West 20th Street location was a solo exhibition of works by Idaho-based, 20th century artist, James Castle. Small drawings on found paper gave an intimate view into the artist’s life. The scale of Castle’s work was just as cozy and warm as his subjects, often loose and architectural, but always very home-centric. The works were paired with Castle’s bundles and boxes, which contained his drawings in groupings and were dispersed throughout the family’s property during his lifetime as a way to store his artwork.
Seismograph of Color, Abraham Palatnik at Nara Roesler
A retrospective of the late Brazilian artist’s work, Seismograph of Color combined conceptual canvases and geometric abstract sculpture that radiated strong energies across the gallery. Palatnik’s artwork immediately conveyed a strong Bauhaus influence. His optic and kinetic works created a visual dialogue that bounced viewers around the room, drawing them in to examine the details of his cut and assembled canvases and the intricacies of his process.
Abraham Palatnik, W-H180, 2019. Acrylic paint on wood. 43 1/10 × 67 3/5 × 1 3/5 in. On view at Nara Roesler through March 3, 2022.
Steve Locke at Miles McEnery Gallery: Annotations & Improvisations (Curated by Kristen Becker)
Stumbling upon a familiar face from the Boston art scene was one of the trip’s best moments. A selection of Steve Locke’s Homage to the Auction Block series was exhibited alongside artists “highlighting the complexities around issues of authorship and origin.” (Miles McEnery)
Inspired by the color studies of Josef Albers, Locke’s Auction Blocks nod to the complex racial histories of Western Modernism.
Maria Nepomuceno: Roda Das Encantadas at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
Sprawled across the floor of Sikkema Jenkins & Co. was a captivatingly large installation of beads, woven palm, rope, and materials rich in texture and color. Paired with wall pieces that commanded an equal amount of attention, Maria Nepomuceno’s artwork transformed the white wall space into an experiential installation emphasizing her skill and craftsmanship. I dreamt of sitting smack in the middle of the floor installation and joining the world of figures she had crafted (unfortunately, that is frowned upon in most art spaces).
Overall, it was great to see what NYC has on view right now and we look forward to exploring Los Angeles next month!
Maria Nepomuceno, Roda Das Encantadas at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
Written by Kaylee Hennessey, Assistant Director
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