As you approach Jonathan LeVine Gallery you will find a trail of shopping carts completely covered in crocheted yarn. Depending upon your natural inclination, you might think it’s either a comment on homeless or a quirky form of street art. Just in front of the gallery’s building there is a 2-story scissor lift, likewise outfitted in a formfitting crocheted sweater. (Is it still called a “sweater” if it’s custom made for a machine?) Once you make it to the 9th floor gallery, you’ll learn that all this knot-tying (and much more!) is the handwork of performance and public artist Agata Olek. For this show, The Bad Artists Imitate The Great Artists Steal, Olek has appropriated some of art history’s more influential appropriations, like Duchamp’s Bicycle Wheel and Banksy’s West Bank silhouette. Almost everything in the gallery is covered in her camo-crochet patterns, the effect of which is surprisingly weighty.
One flight up, Tyler Rollins Fine Art presents Trans-Figuration, in which a group of artists from Southeast Asia, working with diverse media, explore figure and abstraction through psychology and spirituality. Their work is consistently thoughtful and engaging. I especially love Pinaree Sanpitak’s Flying Cube.
Next, stop by microwave, eight at Josée Bienvenu Gallery (2nd floor) for a look at how this group of artists observes the ever-changing nature of communication, exchange and currency. These artists are obsessed with paying close attention to the evolving attitudes surrounding meticulous handmade work and have been doing so since 1999. In the age of instantaneousness they are committed to patience and precision. Alas, theirs is a dying breed.
Down the block at Cookshop Chef Marc Meyer is committed to using sustainable ingredients, supporting local farmers and serving up scrumptious food. He's even participating in the Meatless Monday movement. The Hudson Valley Chicken Breast Salad is my favorite thing on the menu, though, so I'm happy it's Tuesday. If you only have time for something quick, try the "Shrewd Fast Food" at Blossom Du Jour. It's the latest from the folks who brought us the fantastic vegan meccas Blossom and Cafe Blossom. Their Burrito Grande tastes too good to be good for you, but it is!
Ingredients:
Venues: Jonathan LeVine Gallery; Tyler Rollins Fine Art; Josée Bienvenu Gallery
Artists: Olek; Jalaini Abu Hassan, Tiffany Chung, Tracey Moffatt, Manuel Ocampo, Jimmy Ong, Sopheap Pich, Pinaree Sanpitak, Jakkai Siributr, Agus Suwage; Clement Bagot, Steven Bindernagel, Ajit Chauhan, Gustavo Diaz, Curtis Mann, Justin McAllister, Todd Norsten, William Powhida, Jonathan Rider, Rebecca Salter, Mathias Schmied, Lauren Seiden Julianne Swartz, Jill Sylvia, Ana Tiscornia, Daniel Zeller
Streets: W 20th Street
Eats: Cookshop; Blossom Du Jour
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