Artist couple captures images of freedom at Chelsea gallery

Creativity can bloom when two artists put their heads together to collaborate on some of the best projects. This is the case with Nina and Torsten Romer, a Russian/German artist couple who refer to themselves as “Romer and Romer” who specialize in painting and performance art. For their first show in New York City at the Freight and Volume gallery in Chelsea Party—Lowe (which translates to “party lion”) features paintings focusing on social life and norms widely adopted today.

The Romers’ inspiration comes from extensive travel and experiencing life and moments in time first-hand and photographing what’s happening around them. The pixilated images convey how quickly moments in time can go by making it seem like a vague memory, but preserved in the permanence of the painting. The overall theme is that it is up to us as people to liberate ourselves by partying hard and celebrate life and to break free from authority and embrace who they truly want to be. They party with the ferocity of a loin as the title of the show suggests.

70s delle grosse Welle (2009) 

The paintings in this show are pixilated and capture people celebrating life and enjoying themselves at places like in the ocean at the beach, shopping in the city, or playing live music on stage. These people epitomize the free, and sometimes rebellious, human spirit by defying social conventions by living life to the fullest. Nina and Torsten Romer studied at the Art Academy Dusseldorf and have been working together since 1998. A year later, they founded the international art project M°A°I°S. The Romers currently live and work in Berlin.

At Freight and Volume, 530 W. 24th St., through Apr. 26th. There will be an opening reception at the gallery, Mar. 20th from 6—8 p.m. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m. or by appointment.

Artist debuts Abstract Expressionist paintings at gallery's new LES location

For its debut at its new Lower East Side location, The Rachel Uffner Gallery is currently presenting an exhibition of work by Joanne Greenbaum. For her first solo show in New York since 2009, Greenbaum presents eight large paintings in her signature abstract style, using different shapes and form to create expressive patterns. Her pieces are both colorful and enigmatic as she alternates between thin, transparent layers and thick, opaque textures within the foregrounds and backgrounds.

One of her images features an intense cluster of hot pink squiggles in the background, with two mysterious multi-colored creatures as the subjects. Another painting consists of a baby blue background and illustrates a set of staircases with a cluster of red geometric shapes that perhaps represent an animal or group of animals. There is also a painting in the show that serves as a perfect example of stark contrast, where the subject is also an unusual object or creature depicting with rather bright blue and pink stripes shown against a black and navy blue background. Greenbaum lives and works in New York City, and her work has been featured at numerous art shows, galleries, and museums throughout the U.S. and Europe. At The Rachel Uffner Gallery, 170 Suffolk St., through Apr. 20th. The gallery is open Wed.—Sun. from 10 a.m.—6 p.m. or by appointment.

"Untitled" (2014) by Joanne Greenbaum

"Untitled" (2014) by Joanne Greenbaum

Paintings convey passage of time at Chelsea gallery

The Blue Mountain Gallery in Chelsea is currently presenting an exhibition by Margaret Grimes called Passages. For this show, Grimes offers 10 new paintings that illustrate the trees surrounding her studios in Connecticut and Maine.The trees symbolize the cycle of life and different stages of evolution. 

For instance, a piece titled Red October is one that’s bursting with a bright pink background and trees with the yellow and orange leaves that the season of Autumn brings. Contrarily, paintings like Emergence bestow a much softer tone with a very pale blue shade of paint glazing over faint images of tall tree trunks in the forest. The only part that stands out is a cluster of bold green leaves flowing in the wind.

The painting Darkness Visible, also depicts trees in a forest but with darker colors, as the name suggests, and conveys a deep somberness. Similarly, a piece titled Babba Yaga, is a complex one portraying the legendary, elderly witch in Slavic folklore.

Margaret Grimes received her M.F.A. degree at the University of Pennsylvania, and is a member of the National Academy of Design. Her work has been exhibited locally and nationally in many museums and galleries over the years. At The Blue Mountain Gallery, 530 W. 25th St., through Mar. 22nd. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m.

Red October (2014) by Margaret Grimes

Blue clouds fill the air in new Central Park installation

Springtime is finally approaching after a very long, cold winter season and what could be a better way to welcome it than with images of bright blue clouds? That’s exactly what you’ll see with Olaf Bruening’s latest installation Clouds in Central Park. These nearly 35 feet tall works stand on the corner of East 60th Street and Fifth Avenue. They consist of six bright blue polished and painted aluminum pieces cut into shapes of clouds. Bruening’s inspiration came from photograph he took during a 2008 trip to Italy, where he used cranes and cherry pickers to raise large blue drawings of clouds in the air.

As an artist who works with many different types of medium, Bruening is best known for stretching his imagination and leading his viewers into a world that focuses on the lighter side of life and exploring new hopes and dreams.

Bruening has displayed his work at many public sites in the past and many solo and group exhibitions around the world. He says that he is “very proud to be able to show my work in a prime New York location like [Central Park]. I love this city and it is since 14 years my hometown.” Clouds is curated by Andria Hickey and supported by the Public Art Fund. It will be on display at Central Park through Aug. 4th.