nyc art scene

recently opened:

“The Street” & “The Store”
 Claes Oldenburg

MoMA, 11 W53rd St., NYC (bt 5th & 6th Ave)

This exhibition examines the beginnings of Oldenburg’s extraordinary career with an in-depth look at his first two major bodies of work: The Street (1960) and The Store (1961–64). During this intensely productive period Oldenburg redefined the relationship between painting and sculpture and between subject and form. The Street comprises objects made from cardboard, burlap, and newspaper that together create an immersive panorama of a gritty and bustling city. The Store features brightly painted sculptures and sculptural reliefs shaped to evoke commercial products and comestibles. In The Store, cigarettes, lingerie, and hamburgers all become viable subjects for art. - thru Aug 5

Opens Thurs, May 2, 6-8p:

“The Lovers”
 James Gortner

Lyons Wier Gallery, 542 W24th St., NYC

Gortner’s first solo exhibition in New York City presents a series of paintings based on his relationship with photographer Carolina Palmgren, the symbolism found in the Tarot, and his theories on artistic production.  - thru June 1

Artist Talk Tonight, 7-9p:

“Artist Salon at The Lodge”
 Paul Brainard & Hayley McCulloch

The Lodge Gallery, 131 Chrystie St., NYC (bt Delancey & Broome)

Paul Brainard will discuss his influences, his process and the symbolism of recurring images in his work and Hayley McCulloch will discuss her fascination with cultural luminaries and the talismanic properties of art. This discussion is a programming component of the exhibition “Die Wunderkammer; Objects of Virtue” which runs thru May 1st.

thru Feb 22:

“Ain’t Dead Yet”
 Drew Conrad

Fitzroy Gallery, 195 Chrystie St., NYC

Drew Conrad’s sculptural ruins of familiar domestic interior and exterior spaces propose a physical and mental space. Each architectural element is constructed and deconstructed with an idea of a certain moment yet without a final and fully realized plan; each decision informs the next. New and found materials such as laths, shingles, damask wallpaper, lights, and household oddities are distressed by hand with rust, debris, stain and sediment.

Opens Tonight, Jan 5, 6-8p:

“My Eye Travels”
 Diana Cooper

Postmasters Gallery, 549 W19th St., NYC

a solo exhibition of new works by Diana Cooper. The title of this exhibition is taken from one of Diana Cooper’s well known works from 2002 that, along with many others, was destroyed in the flood in her storage during Hurricane Sandy. It is a fitting personal memorial to a beautiful artwork that no longer exists.

—> visit Postmasters’ Tumblr to view the lost works:
postmastersgallery.tumblr.com/dianacooperlostwork

“I am fascinated by the interconnectedness of manmade structures/systems and those found in the natural world. I am increasingly drawn to the sometimes beautiful and sometimes tortured way that nature exists in contemporary environments, whether it be a huge plant stuck inside of a 21st century airport, or vines that resemble a chain link fence, or an abandoned bulldozed lot that unintentionally becomes a garden where weeds grow to the size of trees. My aim is to explore the strangeness of transitional spaces and the wonder they provoke.” - Diana Cooper