HIGHLIGHTS
Chelsea has multiple exciting shows this summer, ranging from large group shows to solo retrospectives. We will highlight three shows with different curatorial premises. The Swimmer, a large-scale group show sprawling over the 9th and 10th floors of the FLAG Art Foundation, centers around the narrative of John Cheever’s short story from 1964, presenting works that dig into its themes and imagery. Another impressive large-scale group show surveys the increasing presence of weaving, textiles, and embroidery in contemporary art, featuring an international and intergenerational group of artists whose works push the boundaries of these traditional mediums. Lastly, at Pretzel, there is a beautifully curated retrospective of Malcolm Morley, offering a glimpse into the fascinating work of the late artist (1931–2018).
The Swimmer at the FLAG Art Foundation @flagartfoundation 545 West 25th Street, NYC. On view through August 9th, 2024. Curated by Jonathan Rider
Featuring work by Henni Alftan, Harold Ancart, Leonard Baby, Conrad Bakker, Burt Barr, Dike Blair, Martin Boyce, Katherine Bradford, Vija Celmins, Zoe Crosher, Nancy Diamond, Elmgreen & Dragset, Tony Feher, Elizabeth Glaessner, Robert Gober, Wayne Gonzales, Jim Hodges, Reggie Burrows Hodges, Roni Horn, Ludovic Nkoth, Amy Park, Jack Pierson, Alessandro Raho, Calida Rawles, Ed Ruscha, Melanie Schiff, Cindy Sherman, Cynthia Talmadge, Deanna Templeton, Paul Thek, and Stephen Truax.
The Swimmer, curated by Jonathan Rider at the FLAG Art Foundation, explores the intricacies and decline of the American Dream throughout the two gallery floors, drawing on John Cheever’s iconic short story. Published in The New Yorker (July 18, 1964), post-Kennedy assassination, Cheever’s narrative reveals mid-century America’s evolving perspectives on class, idealism, and failure—issues that still resonate today. The protagonist, Neddy Merrill, journeys through his affluent neighbors’ pools. What begins as a carefree midsummer Sunday deteriorates as Neddy’s life and grip on reality unravel pool by pool, distorting time and space.
The exhibition immerses visitors in this disorienting aquatic excursion with works depicting bodies of water—pools, lakes, oceans—probing themes of loss, privilege, selective memory, and sexuality. It underscores the American Dream’s collapse against a backdrop of swimming pools. The ninth floor features evocative paintings, photographs, and sculptures that disorient, positioning viewers as the ‘swimmer.’ The art implies the body without explicitly depicting it, aligning with Cheever’s narrative. The tenth floor shifts focus to the human figure in the water, exploring night swimming and the pool as a site for mystery and experimentation. This layered approach echoes Cheever’s exploration of the American Dream’s disintegration and resonates within the gallery’s walls.
Crossings at Kasmin @kasmingallery 509 West 27th Street, NYC. On view through August 9th, 2024
Featuring work by Claudia Alarcón, Olga de Amaral, Hellen Ascoli, Teresa Baker, Vamba Bility, Julia Bland, Vivian Caccuri, Dee Clements, Kenturah Davis, Jacques Douchez, Ximena Garrido-Lecca, Sonia Gomes, Suchitra Mattai, Maria Nepomuceno, Norberto Nicola, Madalena Santos Reinbolt, Judith Scott, Tyrrell Tapaha, T. Vinoja and Sarah Zapata.
Crossings assembles an international and intergenerational group of artists to explore the lasting impact of weaving, textiles, and embroidery in contemporary art. The exhibition investigates the poetics of fabric—its languages, genres, forms, and modes of composition. Highlighting the transformative potential of woven material, the works span textile, painting, sculpture, installation, and conceptual art. New pieces created specifically for this show are contextualized with significant wool and tapestry works from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
The exhibition explores the fundamental interplay of warp and weft, humanity’s earliest binary language and original information technology. This structural rhythm, created by crossing threads, becomes a rich agent for spatial, material, and metaphorical complexity. Each artist uses fabric as a repository of encoded meaning, memory, and narrative, whether through social, material, or historical contexts. Inspired by the etymological link between “text” and “textile,” the works examine history, mythology, and personal psychology, forging new frameworks for visual storytelling through materiality.
Malcolm Morley Painting as Model at Petzel @petzelgallery 520 W 25th Street, NYC On view through August 2nd, 2024
Painting as Model explores the multidisciplinary works of British-American artist Malcolm Morley (1931–2018) at the gallery’s Chelsea location. This comprehensive survey, in partnership with the artist’s estate, spans over 50 years of Morley’s career, featuring 32 works from 1959 to 2014. The exhibition includes paintings and sculptures, with significant pieces on loan from major museums.
In the mid-60s, Morley developed his “super-realist” technique, overlaying small source images with a grid and translating them to large canvases—an uncommon practice among New York artists then. This method allowed him to create layered associations, blending diverse scenes into single compositions. His work demonstrates a complex interplay of grid and model, evoking a sense of movement and transformation and challenging the viewer’s perception.
Morley’s engagement with the grid and models is further synthesized in his later works, transitioning from grid-based compositions to more abstract forms while maintaining a sense of realism. Defying stylistic characterization, Morley consistently pushed the boundaries of painting, retaining a fierce formal rigor. His works sampled photographs and print media, creating references oscillating between source and transformation. As he once stated, “Each painting is the first painting I ever made,” reflecting his relentless pursuit of evolution and innovation.