Walking into Andrea Rosen Gallery is a bit like entering the lab of a mad scientist. You are immediately struck by David Altmejd’s beautiful/grotesque sculptures. Not only are they standing freely throughout the gallery, but they are dug into and built out of its walls. Still, these haunting sculptures take a back seat to Altmejd’s vast Plexiglas works in the center of the room. Their detail is awesome. You could spend a very long time peering into them, and the longer you do the more you will find. Hand-painted strings have been painstakingly threaded through tiny holes, suggesting the complex nervous systems of the behemoth structures. In some cases they form gorgeous flowers. Honestly, I can't even begin to describe half of the things going on here. You've got to see this for yourself. Beyond these two showstoppers, Altmejd placed smaller works all around the gallery (even 2 spools of thread way up on the rafters), making you feel like you might very well be one tiny part of a much larger Plexiglas cube.
As if you needed further reminding of the vastness of our universe, photographer Michael Benson presents the cosmos at Hasted Kraeutler through the end of this week. Benson has gleaned an insane amount of footage from 40+ years of NASA spaceflight and processed it into large-scale digital c-prints depicting the ultraviolet Sun, global dust storms on Mars, Saturn and its rings, Jupiter’s volcanic moon, a crescent of the Earth, and so much more. The resulting exhibition is absolutely mind blowing.
On a more local level, José Parlá presents a kind of “history of our neighborhoods” down the block at Bryce Wolkowitz. Having just seen Abstract Expressionists at MoMa, it's pretty clear how strong an influence those artists had on Parlá. His graffiti roots are heavily exposed, as he culls from his memory of alleyways and ‘hoods across the world (Tokyo to Havana, Istanbul to NYC). The movement of brushstrokes is frenetic, like the energy of the city itself, and the layering of collage and paint reflects the rich history of each community. It will make you appreciate your own storied town that much more.
Now that your thoughts are safely scaled back to the local level, stop by the recently opened W 23rd St & 10th Ave locations of New York Burger Co. for some American grub.
Ingredients:
Venues: Andrea Rosen; Hasted Kraeutler; Bryce Wolkowitz
Artists: David Altmejd; Michael Benson; José Parlá
Streets: W 24th St, 10th & 11th Aves
Eats: New York Burger Co
Map:
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