Image vs Object – Isabel Riley, John Guthrie, and Judy Riola 

Isabel Riley, Cardinal Directions of the Heart

Michelle Mercaldo, an artist and master craftsperson in her own right, is hosting a strong group show in her jewelry showroom, featuring the work of Isabel Riley, John Guthrie, and Judy Riola. Michelle’s own practice is in fine metalwork, and that sensibility, precision, and materiality, with a feel for surface, inform whose work she chooses to put on her walls. 

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Narratives and expressive figures in Judy Glantzman’s Playing with Dolls at P.P.O.W

Glantzman’s heroically scaled works immerse viewers in the energetic world that she creates. I really appreciate the diversity in scale of the works in this show. The smaller-sized canvases offer a snapshot, still detailed but a more compact telling of the world she is creating. Whereas the larger works allow viewers to step in and entangle themselves within the forms, narratives, symbols, and ideas that Glantzman offers. Walking into the gallery brought an immediate sense of excitement, wonder, and a need for exploration and adventure within the pieces. The paintings introduce the characters and scenes, while the ceramics are the pieces Glantzman chooses to pluck directly from the compositions and bring into 3D forms. 

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Art Spiel Picks: Just for Laughs Exhibitions in December 2024

Nancy Elsamanoudi, Donut Dog at Dog House Gallery, courtesy of the the artist
HIGHLIGHTS

From Manhattan to Brooklyn, there is funny business happening in the galleries this holiday season, quite literally. Portraits of humorous creatures in a solo exhibition titled Donut Dog by Nancy Elsamanoudi at Doghouse Gallery are an opening act to the performances at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective. Slightly absurd paintings of “Lost” posters by Jeffrey Morabito crack a joke in a two-person exhibition titled Flat Theater at Space 776 (CLOSING DECEMBER 18th), while a humorous undertone sets the mood in the Paintings and Chairs group exhibition at Zepster Gallery.

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