conceptual art – Page 8

May 1, 2024April 29, 2024, by Xuezhu Jenny Wang

Yi Hsuan Lai: Objects, Bodies, Things at Gallery 456

Yi Hsuan Lai. *Something Happened*, 2022. Archival pigment print mounted on dibond. 16.25 x 21.625 inches. Courtesy of Gallery 456 and the artist

I was scrolling through Instagram recently when I saw a post that read: “What’s your artspeak ick?” The word “anthropomorphism” immediately came to mind. It’s nothing personal. It’s just that a friend of mine had an art history professor who once (in)famously tweeted: “I will scream into a pillow if I see another student write the word ‘anthropomorphic’ in their paper.” Therefore, I paused before ascribing “anthropomorphic” qualities to the work of Taiwanese artist Yi Hsuan Lai.

March 13, 2024March 8, 2024, by Eva Zanardi

Hudson Valley Artists: Bibliography Sourcing Inspiration at Dorsky

A room with art on the wall

Description automatically generated — Installation view of *Hudson Valley Artists: Bibliography* at The Dorsky Museum of Art

Words evoke a myriad of visuals; images encapsulate words, concepts, and ideals. This symbiotic relationship, the dance between the written word and visual art, is the crux of Bibliography. On view at the Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz through April 7, this exhibition documents how books conjure different facets of the exhibiting artists’ thoughts. Books function as a thematic thread, connecting the artworks on view to broader references of knowledge and providing entry points for understanding their aesthetic, social, or political implications. Exhibiting artists include Osi Audu, Alta Buden, Shari Diamond, Kerry Downey, Stevenson Estime, eteam (Franzisa Lamprecht and Hajoe Moderegger), Aki Goto, Adam Henry, Matthew Kirk, Niki Kriese, Melora Kuhn, Catherine Lord, Sean Sullivan, and Audra Wolowiec. 

March 11, 2024February 23, 2024, by Art Spiel

Hovey Brock-Daniella Dooling-Valerie Hegarty at Catskill Art Space

HOT AIR

A close-up of a carpet

Description automatically generated — Hovey Brock, *A Golden Spike for the Anthropocene,* 2020, 30” x 40”, acrylic media on panel

Hovey Brock was a member of the Catskill Art Society (CAS) before its rebranding as the Catskill Art Space. Originally a low-key regional arts center, the transformation began under the guidance of Executive Director Sally Wright. In October 2022, Wright inaugurated the new exhibition halls, featuring on-loan installations by Sol Lewitt and James Turrell, signaling CAS’s ambition to bring world-class arts programming to Livingston Manor. This initiative marked a significant milestone in the cultural revival sweeping the entire Catskill region, with CAS playing a pivotal role. “Since so much of my work is about the Catskills, I am thrilled to have this opportunity to show my pieces at CAS, especially in the company of fellow artists Daniella Dooling and Valerie Hegarty,” Brock says.

March 6, 2024March 6, 2024, by Anne E. Whiting

Glean, Glow, Glam – Denise Treizman at Coral Springs Museum

“Ring around the rosie”, 2020-2024. | Painted vinyl, foam, styrofoam, inflatable pool, tubing, balls, wooden rocker, plexiglass, slinky, fabric, painted PVC pipe tube, rope, clamp, google balls. Photo credits: Rafael Nuñez

Every time I stumble into Denise Treizman’s work—and I do literally mean stumble: it was at an Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Open Studios Night back in 2017 when I almost walked into a pile of glitter on the floor of her then-studio and first fell heels-over-head in love with her creations—I am floored (I’m so sorry) with the particular joy that some absurdism-enthusiasts experience when presented with hilarious, kawaii, unexpected, nonessential, and in my case: sparkly, things.

February 24, 2024February 23, 2024, by Art Spiel

This is the Future of Non-Objective Art at Atlantic Gallery

Featured Exhibition

Atlantic Gallery, located a short walk from the High Line in Manhattan’s Chelsea, is currently home to This is the Future of Non-Objective Art, curated by Suzan Shutan. This exhibition gathers over a hundred artists from around the globe, each exploring the boundaries of Non-Objective art through unique sensory experiences, experimental processes, and new techniques. Alongside the show, a detailed 110-page catalog is available, offering further insight into the works and artists involved. This large-scale exhibition runs from February 13 to March 2, 2024.

February 9, 2024January 28, 2024, by Etty Yaniv

Valérie Hallier – Doodling with Petals

In Dialogue

Valérie Hallier working on the series *Déflorée History* in her studio during a residency with ESKFF at Mana Contemporary, NJ., 2023

Flower petals gradually became a significant element in Valérie Hallier’s artwork. Fascinated by the profound symbolism of flowers, Hallier initially struggled to incorporate them effectively into her artistic practice. Her initial approach involved photographing flowers in unique ways and settings. She also experimented with their dried components, adhering them to various surfaces. Eventually, she began to focus on pressing individual petals. Hallier discovered that working with petals was ideal for conveying complex themes such as femininity, resilience, sexuality, vibrancy, and decay. Born in Paris, France, and raised in Normandy, Hallier had a shy nature as a child. She was consumed with the ambition to draw everything in existence, a desire for comprehensiveness that continues to influence her work. Art, for her, has always been an essential means of engaging with both her internal and external worlds. Reflecting on her early art education, Hallier fondly remembers her excitement upon meeting others who shared her artistic ‘language.’

February 2, 2024December 6, 2024, by Jennifer McGregor

Hedwig Brouckaert / Peel / Examining the Layers

page1image26131280 — *Peel (Flowering)* 2023 paper on ceramic tiles 77 ½” x 5’ x 1” Photography by Michael Hnatov

Peel (America), a new series by Hedwig Brouckaert, which was supported by a Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation Grant, embodies a significant evolution of her practice that integrates life-defining experiences. The title suggests removing a protective coating which is integral to the artist’s physical process and emotional journey of making the work. Peel (America) is on view at Project: ARTspace, 99 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, from December 19, 2023 to February 20, 2024.

January 29, 2024January 29, 2024, by Melissa Stern

Man Bites Dog Bites Man

John O’Connor at L’Space presented in conjunction with Pierogi Gallery

Noahbot-colored pencil and graphite on paper. 83 x 69.5. 2013. Photo courtesy of John Berens

There is an astonishing amount of information in John O’Connor’s drawings. The work, currently on show in Chelsea at L’Space Gallery, explodes off the paper with words and numbers, names, logos, and dates. It’s information overload, and that is part of the genius of the show.

January 8, 2024December 24, 2023, by Anna Mikaela Ekstrand

The Immigrant Artist Biennial – In Dialogue

Portraiture, Archives, and Representation: Golnar Adili, Erika DeFreitas, and Jonathan Ojekunle

On the left: Jonathan Ojekunle. *Shining Light*, 2022. Oil, acrylic on canvas. 60 x 48 in. Courtesy of the artist and The Immigrant Artist Biennial. Courtesy NARS Foundation. Photographed by Young Yu Don.

Oftentimes, in thinking about the representation of the human form in art, people can get very attached to the ‘abstraction’ versus ‘figuration’ binary. These respective styles frequently get coded as opposites, and certain kinds of politics are ascribed to each. For example, ‘figuration’ is coded as a kind of politics of representation, whereas ‘abstraction’ is a politics of refusal or resistance to legibility. However, the work of Golnar Adili, Erika DeFreitas, and Jonathan Ojekunle, all on view in The Immigrant Artist Biennial 2023: Contact Zone, functions beyond this binary in fresh ways. We interviewed the artists about portraiture and its relationship with archives and representation.

January 1, 2024December 24, 2023, by Amy Talluto

Whisperings from the Wormhole with @talluts

Let’s Be Nothing Burgers

Stars in outer space with a bright star

Description automatically generated — Photo of Pandora’s Cluster showing ancient galaxies from the early universe by the James Webb Space Telescope, Feb 15, 2023, Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ivo Labbe (Swinburne), Rachel Bezanson (University of Pittsburgh)

Recently I was watching a guy on TikTok gently freak out about all the revelations coming back from the James Webb Space Telescope. His panic was so relatable because the images returning from deep space only reinforce how utterly minute we Earthlings are in the cosmos. The JWST is so powerful that, looking from Earth, it can sense the heat signature of a single bumblebee on the moon. And, of course, faced with this, he just shrugged helplessly and said, “We’re a total nothing burger.”