W 22nd & 24th Sts – eyes for voice, Working Together, Dryland Farming

‘Tis the season for overbooked schedules and 4-hour-long meals, but don’t forget to go see art! Not only will you keep your creative juices flowing and walk off some of that pumpkin cheesecake, but you’ll gain invaluable fodder for holiday party small talk. CRG Gallery presents eyes for voice, a show of giant layered paintings and extraordinary sculptures by LA-based artist Tom LaDuke. The paintings are a compelling mash-up of movie stills, home photos and colorful bursts of thickly layered oils and acrylics. My favorite piece is a sculpture of a handkerchief made of salt and superglue. The detail is simply incredible and photos cannot do it justice. You must go see it!

In the spirit of family gatherings, check out Claire Fontaine’s Working Together at Metro Pictures. It is a collection of work that turns a critical (and cheeky) eye on the networkers and collaborators of the world. Giant clear plastic bags of empty aluminum cans hang from the ceiling and paintings are installed behind scaffolding bars. One video, The Assistants, is so still and meek it is barely comprehensible and easily dismissed, which is exactly the point. This is undoubtedly a “love it” or “hate it” kind of show, and I’m on the fence. What’s your feeling?

Stop by Bryce Wolkowitz for a very different feeling altogether. For Dryland Farming photographer Edward Burtynsky expertly captures the bold colors and textures of the beautiful farmland in northeastern Spain. Step back and take in the patterns of the whole terrain, then get closer to pick out the electrical wires and olive trees.  

For lunch, take a decided detour from traditional holiday fare with a little take-out Chinese. Make your way across 24th and call ahead (212-620-5200) to Grand Sichuan International for the  $5.95 lunch special.  Ask if they have the sautéed pea shoots. They’re not always on the menu, but they are fantastic! 

Ingredients:

Venues: CRG, Metro Pictures, Bryce Wolkowitz

Artists: Tom LaDuke, Claire Fontaine, Edward Burtynsky

Streets: W 24^th St between 10th & 11th Aves

Eats: Grand Sichuan International

Map:

W 24th St

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 24^th St, 10^th & 11^th Aves

Eats: New York Burger Co

Map: