E 57th St - American Letters, Recent Paintings

Take this opportunity to acquaint yourself with Brett Bigbee’s intense realism. You’ll be amazed by the detail and precision that make his extraordinary portraits and still life paintings hauntingly realistic. The star of the show, at Alexandre Gallery, is Abby, a large-scale portrait of a girl with luminescent skin standing by a river. It’s arresting and meticulously detailed. "Abby" is fine, but I’d call it, “Mona Lisa in Floral Swimwear.” 

While you’re in the building (The Fuller Building at 41 E 57^th St) make sure to see American Letters, 1927-1947: Jackson Pollock & Family. This is a show of artwork and letters by Jackson Pollock, his brothers (two of which were also artists), his parents and his mentors. Beyond the insight into Jackson’s work and influences, this collection is an intimate look at the extraordinary bond the family maintained as they struggled through the Great Depression and the Second World War. The show is great, and the book is even better. It’d be a great gift for the American History buff in your life. I’m just saying, ‘tis the season… 

Since it is also the season for holiday parties and overeating, grab lunch at Chop’t. The Harvest Cobb is seasonally delicious. It's jam-packed with goodness and almost guaranteed to fill you up. Plus, isn’t the way they chop and mix everything together so fun to watch?

Ingredients:

Venues: Alexandre Gallery, Jason McCoy Gallery

Artists: Brett Bigbee, Jackson Pollock

Streets: The Fuller Building, 41 E 57th St at 5th Avenue

Eats: Chop’t

Map:

Wooster & Grand Sts - Kindred Spirits, Through Excess and Ruin

How fantastic to find Jackson Pollock on the list of modern and contemporary artists influenced by Native American art?! I had no idea! Sure enough, his Untitled, 1946 is among the many gems in Kindred Spirits, Native American Influences on 20th Century Art at Peter Blum Soho. This exhibition is brilliant because juxtaposing exquisite tribal pottery and textiles with iconic contemporary photography heightens every piece involved.

Sumner Matteson’s absorbing Man Weaving At Loom takes on new depth when presented with vibrant Navajo rugs. Ansel Adams’ Moonrise gives us a stunning geographical context for the work at hand. The experience is profound. Bonus: Get some holiday shopping out of the way and pick up the fantastic exhibition book! 

Switch gears and swing by Team Gallery’s Grand Street space for Cristina Lei Rodriguez: Through Excess and Ruin. With her mixed media abstract sculptures Rodriguez expresses the fine line between trash and treasure. This is both insightful and timely as the

excessive madness of Black Friday outshines the gratitude of Thanksgiving. If only this combo always resulted in such a skillfully crafted controlled chaos.

Break away from the gluttony of the season with a warm lentil salad from Lucky Strike. (Any other week of the year, I’d suggest their turkey burger. It comes on an English muffin with a huge side salad or fries and it's delish!)

Ingredients:

Venues: Peter Blum Soho, Team Gallery

Artists: Jackson Pollock, Ansel Adams, Sumner Matteson, Cristina Lei Rodriguez

Streets: Wooster Street, Grand – Prince Streets

Eats: Lucky Strike

Map: