Embarking on a gallery-hopping adventure in Tribeca frequently leads to delightful experience for art aficionados and curious wanders alike. While not every artwork you encounter may make your heart skip a bit, or even resonate with your personal taste, Tribeca’s growing cluster of galleries promises an ever-increasing chance of stumbling upon captivating and thought-provoking artworks. In this article, join me on a curated journey through four compelling painting shows taking place throughout June.
1969 Drew Dodge: Deep Down May 4 – June 17, 2023 39 White St, New York, NY
Drew Dodge’s remarkable solo exhibition, Deep Down, is an imaginative expedition into the recesses of the human psyche and its profound connection to the natural world. Dodge masterfully constructs a universe entirely his own, where anthropomorphic figures engage and coexist within otherworldly landscapes, showcasing a mesmerizing array of visual vocabulary, evocative imagery, and symbolic richness.
Dodge fearlessly challenges entrenched notions of masculinity, shaping vessels of intimate memories that emanate empathy, permeability, and nuanced sensuality, probing questions of identity and the yearning for a sense of belonging in an ever-turbulent world. Deep Down leaves an indelible imprint, resonating with the profound beauty, absurdity, and enigmatic qualities that dwell within us and the environments we inhabit.
GRIMM Louise Giovanelli: Soothsay 12 May – 30 June 2023 54 White St, New York, NY
Louise Giovanelli’s painting exhibition revolves around the Entheogen series, which deftly appropriates a 1970s film still to blur the narrative implications of the image. The subject’s ecstatic state undergoes a metamorphosis, shifting from its religious origins to more provocative interpretations. The exhibition’s title, Entheogen, borrowed from the Greek term Entheos, meaning “full of God,” underscores the inherent narrative ambiguity.
Giovanelli’s paintings combine elements of religious iconography, hallucinogenic substances, and revelations of a carnal nature, purposefully dissolving the boundaries between these realms. They challenge conventional notions of the erotic and the spiritual, inviting viewers to contemplate the intricate interplay between the two.
Drawing inspiration from Western Art and Renaissance painting, Giovanelli adroitly employs delicate glazes, classical motifs, and unorthodox perspectives. Some works feature a textured surface, achieved through the masterful application of oil and beeswax, while others employ a meticulous pointillist technique, heightening the portrayal of transcendent experiences. Notably, a grand curtain painting, its surface resplendent in gleaming gold, evokes the allure of nightclub drapes, further prompting viewers to explore the nuanced relationship between the sacred and the sensual.
GRIMM Tommy Harrison: Tone Cluster 12 May – 30 June 2023 54 White St, New York, NY
The figures in Tommy Harrison’s paintings emerge or retreat from the very fabric of the picture plane. Our attention is immediately drawn to the artist’s handling of paint, ranging from thick impastos to delicate taps and translucent glazes. Harrison’s process commences with the use of tailor’s chalk, directly drawing on the canvas to establish a preliminary framework that is swiftly discarded. Operating without preconceived notions, the journey unfolds in successive stages, with each mark and gesture responding to the preceding ones, gradually revealing a discernible direction. It is within this blueprint that formal and figurative imagery emerges, creating palpable tension that invites us to stay longer.
James Cohan Alison Elizabeth Taylor: These Days May 17 – June 24, 2023 48 Walker St, New York, NY
Alison Elizabeth Taylor’s exhibition, These Days, takes us on an odyssey through post-pandemic America. With her masterful use of marquetry and imagery, Taylor portrays a vivid tableau of resurgent vacations, bustling social gatherings, captivating video game arcades, and the allure of public gambling. Within her artwork, intimate portraits of departed friends seamlessly intermingle with captivating portrayals of opulent Southwestern casinos and the gritty authenticity of Brooklyn’s streetscapes.
Taylor’s ingenious “marquetry hybrid” technique, melding wood veneer, collage, and oil-painted passages, transcends the realm of mere replication. Instead, it delves into the emotional depths of her subjects, weaving a broader tapestry of the ever-evolving post-pandemic landscape.