New York art scene

Highlights from the Art World: 1960s New York, Eva Hesse, American Modernism

Sandra Bertrand

There are set pieces to stumble upon, with Danish armchairs and plastic ashtrays placed in front of a black-and-white TV playing The Munsters, that evil family of witches that look pretty benign by today’s standards. Life magazine covers and poetry journals celebrating the likes of Frank O’Hara and Ed Sanders proliferate and wallpaper kitschy enough to put a smile on even the most erudite in the crowd. 

Jasper Johns at The Whitney: The Magician at Play

Sandra Bertrand

Death as a theme has a place in the artist’s obsessions. Later paintings depict skeletons as part of the imagery with a lightheartedness that makes one think the artist at 91 has come to terms with the issue of mortality. One work places the skeleton over an original silhouette of the artist from his own shadow. Another earlier and more somber image is based on a 1965 war photograph by Larry Burrows with Marine corporal James Farley crumpled in grief over the death of a comrade. 

Art That Shaped a Nation: 80 Years of Native American Painting

Sandra Bertrand

Arguably, the most haunting work is Deer Dancer for Hyacinth (2001) by Rick Bartow.  (1946-2016).  A Pacific Northwest artist, he fought with addiction and post-traumatic stress that emerges in his dark compositions.  Here, his distorted male figure appears to be in a state of transformation, his head sprouting antlers.  The power of this large pastel, charcoal, and pencil drawing suggests the raw intensity of Austrian painter Egon Schiele’s naked portraits.

“Breathless” Exhibit Features Gorgeous, Grotesque Animal Art

Sandra Bertrand

The House of the Nobleman, a New York and London-based organization known for fostering the careers of artists through a series of prestigious arts events, has mounted an eye-opening show, Breathless, at the Rush Art Gallery in the heart of New York’s Chelsea area.  Through various media, including taxidermy, painting, drawing, embroidery, and sculpture, the various objects on display manage to be alternately gorgeous and grotesque.  

Art: The Expressive Edge of Paper

Various Artists

The Anita Shapolsky Gallery in New York City is presenting a multifaceted group of abstract paper works by 27 artists the gallery has exhibited over the years. Paper experimentation shows the dichotomy between planning aspects in art and free form automatic drawing. These works show great technical skill which brings the artists visions to life. The works gives incredible insights into their diverse approaches and the timelessness of their art. 

How Pop Art Icon Peter Max Became the Quintessential American Artist

Kristin Sancken

Max’s studio is a massive 10,000 square foot loft on the Upper West Side of Manhattan filled with  photographs of the artist with every president from Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George Bush and, of course, Barack Obama. The rest of the space is filled with paintings of patriotic icons and pop culture subjects: athletes, the New York City skyline, sporting events, even Taylor Swift have somehow come to find refuge in Max’s work. 

Ben Blatt and the Art of Watercolor

Kristin Sancken

Brooklyn-based artist Ben Blatt has emerged as one of the most exacting watercolorists in the contemporary art world. It would be hard to describe Blatt’s work without using the word striking. His lush paintings of overgrown terrariums and botanical bell jars open ones eyes to elaborate fantasy worlds full of ornate details, exquisite visual components, and utopian narratives. Blatt’s pieces are evocative of a natural reverie completely encompassing the infinite mystery and fragility of the world around us. 

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