Spring fever has hit the NYC art world again, with loads of delectable shows up at the fairs this week. Here are a few I'm particularly looking forward to. (All text below images taken direct from press releases):
SEASON OF THE WITCH GROUP SHOW AT SPRING/BREAK:
Sarah Potter is pleased to present “Season of the Witch,” a group exhibition of new work at SPRING/BREAK Art Show during Armory Arts Week in New York City.
The sixth edition of SPRING/BREAK Art Show will take place in the former corporate offices located at 4 Times Square with Ms. Potter’s curatorial project in room #32 on the 23rd floor of the building.
The fair will run from Wednesday, March 1 to Monday, March 6 with a preview and Vernissage on Tuesday, February 28. This exhibition will mark the first in a series of events Ms. Potter has planned for 2017 which she has deemed as the “Season of the Witch.”
“Season of the Witch” reflects on the ways artists engage in ritual to reveal their deeply personal beliefs and spirituality through the creation of their artwork. The potent archetype of “the witch” is utilized here to represent a creator whose power comes from within. Like modern day shamans, artists are the ultimate magicians who are able to turn the intangible (their inner thoughts and inspirations) into the tangible (their artwork); the immaterial magically materializes. Working intuitively while referencing the powerful language of symbols, all of the artists in this exhibition turn art making into a modern day magical practice.
Six artists will be featured in the show: Evie Falci, Lala Abaddon, Heather Gabel, Astral Eyes, Hilary White, and Jesse Bransford.
Working in a vibrant color palette and a variety of materials, Hilary White’s sculptural wall pieces act as portals to another realm of consciousness. Lala Abaddon’s woven photographs straddle the digital and analog realms revealing a pixelated dreamscape of her deeply personal inner world. Evie Falci transforms the mundane materials of denim, pleather, rhinestones, and metal studs into the divine by creating intricate mandalas referencing sacred geometry and ancient symbology. Utilizing the medium of collage, both Astral Eyes and Heather Gabel create powerful visual alchemy from collected imagery to reveal the surreal in their work. Jesse Bransford explores the relationship between art and magic through his practice and will charge the space with intention through the creation of a site-specific installation in the room which will remain on view for the duration of the exhibition.
MAX RAZDOW'S METROPOLIS DRAWINGS AT VOLTA NY:
VOLTA NY
Galerie Jan Dhaese
Booth D18
Pier 90,
W. 50th St. at 12th Av.
New York, NY 10019
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1
Preview: 5-7 pm
Public Vernissage: 7-10 pm
THURSDAY – SATURDAY, MARCH 2 – 4
12 – 8 pm
SUNDAY, MARCH 5
12 – 5 pm
Max Razdow’s Metropolis Drawings collect the history and geography of a city in becoming, rendered from the bones of abstraction with mixed mediums, pen and ink. The works become a corollary for present and future states, ranging from the mural scale Metropolis to dozens of small ink drawings, sketches and notes. The drawings trace the wax and wane of a fictive city in ages from its founding forward, building a world reverberating through time and unfolding itself to meet monads of urgency and grace. Characters, creatures and spatial components of the Metropolis have narrative qualities, using epic, fantasy laden textual elements to collect an unfixed tale. Considering these as singular and obtuse works is an important antidote to the idea that these are simply fantasy illustrations. They are mutable elements that are activated by storytelling (even generative of it). Razdow’s works linger as poetic attributions to an untold story* – one bridging metaphysical, mystical and experiential qualities that are reflective of the world we know.
In the Metropolis, we are met with ritual geographies, elemental forges, miscast rulers, dueling pantheons of ulterior worlds, heroes (human, bestial and divine), and maps attempting to trace their interplay. The epic origination stories, rebellions and turmoil hinted at in the works reveal Razdow’s way of engaging with both classic myths and contemporary realities. Aspects include the rise of emptiness and control in some ages of the Metropolis, and we can glimpse hope in the mirror of individuals seeking liminal, supernatural forces and creatures evolved from enraptured nature. A confluence of radical empathy and resolve emerge as themes for protagonists: a centaur woman born from a dolphin to work subversive magic and wield power, a necromancer who puts down his tools to seek clarity in distant mountains. Despite the rhythm of the Metropolis’ rises and falls, its geography remains a mutable monument. Its walls shift with time but stand on strong foundations: a memorial engine of the archetypal past setting possibilities for future ages.
*In addition to the drawings, a ~15,000 word text has been prepared for the show, which will be available in a short edition with hand painted covers.
LAUREN FENSTERSTOCK'S SCRYING SOLO SHOW AT VOLTA NY:
Claire Oliver is pleased to announce the gallery’s participation at the 2017 edition of Volta NY, with Scrying, a solo booth of new mixed media sculpture by Portland-based artist Lauren Fensterstock. The artist’s newest works combine chromed and rubberized shell work with mouth blown and cold worked glass, conceptually questioning the current “selfie” obsession and a possible link between this and past social obsessions.
VOLTA NY
THE INVITATIONAL SOLO PROJECT FAIR FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
March 1-5, 2017 - Pier 90
EL GATO CHIMNEY'S NEW WORK AT SCOPE:
SCOPE New York
Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea
Booth #022
March 2: platinum first view 3 - 6 PM | VIP preview 6 - 9 PM
March 3 - 4: 11 AM - 8 PM
March 5: 11 AM - 7 PM
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 W 18th St
New York
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