Picasso's portrayals of wife and muse Jacqueline at the Pace Gallery

Picasso has long been regarded as one of the most influential and visionary painters of the 20th century, but there was someone in his life who was influential to him as well. The Pace Gallery’s two Manhattan locations are currently presenting Picasso and Jacqueline which includes nearly 140 works illustrating his beloved muse, Jacqueline Roque, who would later become his wife. These paintings were completed in the 1950s and 1960s during the last two decades of Picasso’s life.

He met Jacqueline in 1953 when he was 72 and she was 27, and began living together the following year. Picasso’s earliest painting of his muse titled Jacqueline with Flowers is an eloquent introduction of new finesse to his signature style. He captures her grace, poise, and beauty by showing her vigilant expression, elongated neck, and elongated fingers, and wearing a black and yellow dress filled with curved shapes, as she sits in front of a group of white roses.

"Jacqueline with Flowers" (1954)

The show includes eleven works from Picasso’s Les Femmes d’Alger (The Woman of Algiers) which was a series completed between 1954-1955 and was inspired by Eugene Delacroix’s 1834 painting of the same name. Like the original work, Picasso’s version depicts two women in sitting in their apartment in Algeria flaunting their curvaceous figures. Delacroix’s version depicted four women including one colored woman, and another woman smoking from a hookah pipe. Picasso’s version depicts two women, one of whom is holding a cigarette and has no face, and the other one is completely nude with her blue skin likely representing a woman of color.

The exhibition also includes personal works such as Jacqueline Dressed as a Bride Full Face I celebrating the couple’s wedding, and Jacqueline with Paloma and Catherine illustrating Jacqueline with Catherine Hutin, her daughter from her first marriage, and Picasso’s daughter Paloma. These masterful paintings came from Picasso and Jacqueline Roque estate, as well as loans from many private collections from museums including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and MoMA in New York, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

At The Pace Gallery, 32 E. 57th St., and 534 W. 25th St., through Jan. 10. Both locations are open Tues.—Sat. from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Kara Walker's 'Afterword' to Domino sugar sphinx show on view at Chelsea gallery

Renowned contemporary artist Kara Walker is currently presenting a series of drawings for the show Afterword at the Sikkema & Jenkins Co. The works in the show are based on Walker’s famous exhibition this past spring and summer of her giant sphinx made from 80 tons of hardened blocks of white sugar that was on display at the former Domino Sugar factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

For this show Walker presents a series of paintings, sketches, collages, videos, and notes that are precisely an “afterword” to her previous sphinx installation. 

Afterword is divided into three sections. One section consists of notes and sketches that Walker began working on as she was coming up with the idea for her grandiose masterpiece. In the main section of the gallery is an installation of a fist whose gesture recalls the Afro-Brazilian “figa” which represents good luck and protection against harm. Walker also presents two watercolor works including one titled A Terrible Vacation which was inspired by J.M.W. Turner’s 1840 painting The Slave Ship depicting a ship violently being tossed around through an uproarious storm and many passengers who have been ejected fight for survival.

"Untitled" (2013-2014) by Kara Walker

There are also a couple of video installations, one of them titled An Audience takes a look at those who visited the sphinx at the Domino Sugar Refinery an hour before closing time on the final day. Another video titled Rhapsody, is a six-minute ballet of mechanical industriousness and destruction which depicts the sphinx being dismantled, and it’s set to the music of Emmanuel Chabrier’s España. Walker compares Rhapsody to an “an industrial age orchestral warhorse, the bombast and moxie of which suggests the quixotic folly of dreaming up big things that don’t (or can’t) last.” Kara Walker is best known for her works that revolve around themes of race, gender, sexuality, and violence that have appeared at numerous gallery shows and museums exhibitions around the world.

At the Sikkema & Jenkins Co. Gallery, 530 W. 22nd St., through Jan. 17. The gallery is open Tues.--Sat. from 10 a.m.—6 p.m.

Katherine Bradford's mixed media paintings at East Harlem project space

The Arts and Leisure project space in East Harlem is currently presenting a collection of works by Katherine Bradford for the exhibition Shelf Paintings. For this show, Bradford offers several paintings made from materials such as acrylics, cardboard, wood, clay, and paper mache. With this particular series of paintings, she integrates the styles of artists Philip Guston, Howard Hodgkin, and Malcolm Morley and she nicely blends hot and cool colors together. In one piece called Phoenix, Bradford captures the warmth of the sunshine by using colors that such as pink which smoothly turns to orange which then turns to yellow. 

"Phoenix" (2014) by Katherine Bradford

The light shines upon a curved structure resembling a mountain with several multi-colored round objects, including one pink one sitting on top of a cylinder. Another piece titled Aqua Blocks, depicts several blocks stacked one on top of another. Some of the blocks have colors like red and green, while others are black and white; the bold colors serve as a contrast to the sky blue background. 

One painting where Bradford uses more monochromatic tones is White Preserver which illustrates a windowsill with several round objects on top and bright light is shining through the oval-shaped window with a silver piece of metal in its center. 

Bradford’s dedication and her keen color sense is evident in all of her works that are very rich in depth and feeling. She splits her time between New York and Brunswick, Maine and her work has been featured in several museum and gallery shows across the country.

At Arts and Leisure, 1571 Lexington Ave. (between 100th and 101st streets), through Dec. 14. The gallery is open Wed.—Sun. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m., or by appointment.

Michael Scoggins illustrates of the ups and downs of life in new show

The Freight & Volume gallery in Chelsea is currently presenting a unique and meaningful collection of works by Michael Scoggins in an exhibition titled If you can’t say something nice. . . Some of the works in this show revolve around negative aspects of life such as embarrassment, failure, anxiety, and self-disapproval, while other works revolve around positive aspects of life such as success and self-confidence. Scoggins conveys these moments onto large sheets of lined paper and chalkboards which gives the viewer the sense of being back in grade school and learning how to cope with the joys and challenges of growing up.

One highlight of this show is Best Art, which features a drawing on a lined sheet of paper of a giant yellow trophy in the center displaying the words “#1 Best Art” with the text on the top of the page reading “Congratulations!” and the text bottom of the page reads “Voted Best Artist in the World 7 Years in a Row.” 

"Best Art" (2014) by Michael Scoggins

The piece effectively captures the joy that a student, or anyone, would feel receiving high praise for his or her hard work and having something spectacular to show for it.

Another work in the show titled I’m Still Redeemable perfectly illustrates how a person can learn from his or her mistakes or recover from disappointing moments in life. On a large chalkboard, there are several words and phrases that appear partially erased or crossed out; right in the center of the blackboard amidst the chaos clearly read the words “I’m still redeemable.”

Other works in the show reflect personal memories from the artist’s youth and adolescent years. For instance, One Trick Pony is a work on lined paper; the phrase “One Trick Pony” was one that was tossed at Scoggins during a graduate school critique, and those words are written 25 times on the page, while an expressive chalkboard piece titled Oh, This Messy Heart features those words smack in the center, while several words and phrases behind in are partially erased or crossed out. About his chalkboard works, Scoggins says “The chalkboard is ephemeral in nature,” “I'm building up layers of history, and also thinking about memories, and how they're flexible and change over time. The viewer is only getting part of the story; I hope they'll complete the missing parts.”

At Freight & Volume, 530 W. 24th St., through Dec. 13. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m.

Julio Valdez's paintings inspired by Cuban music at Soho gallery

The June Kelly Gallery in Soho is currently presenting a series of new paintings by Julio Valdez for the exhibition Para Soñar el Sol. The title of the show translates to “In Order to Dream the Sun” and was borrowed from the song Sueno de Una Noche Verano (“Midsummer Night’s Dream”) by Cuban songwriter Silvio Rodriguez whose lyrics serve as a major inspiration for Valdez’s subjects.

Valdez’s paintings are ethereal portrayals of the calmness of the sea in the stillness of the night. The sea is a metaphor for dreaminess and creativity and this is illustrated especially well in Dreaming Boy III which depicts a young boy floating in the water with his eyes close as though he is floating along a sea of dreams.

"Dreaming Boy III" (2012) by Julio Valdez

A similar image titled Skaneateles features two young children and their mother standing in the water surrounded by an assorted collection of flowers. The young girl is clearly shown in the foreground wearing a t-shirt while her younger sibling and her mother, especially the mother, appear to be somewhat faded out as though they are in the midst of a daydream.

In another piece titled Oficiante del Mar II depicts the shadow of a man raising his arms and two sea creatures. In all of his works, Valdez beautifully captures the ripples and waves in the sea in all of his works, creating a world where nature and consciousness mingle, where the serenity of the tropics meets the reality of life on land, and where dreams of travel to distant lands are balanced with the idea that there’s no place like home.

At The June Kelly Gallery, 166 Mercer St., through Dec. 9th. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m.

Cristina Vergano illustrates 'The Laws of Attraction' at Lower East Side gallery

The Woodward Gallery on the Lower East Side is currently presenting a collection of paintings by Cristina Vergano for an exhibition titled The Laws of Attraction. Wildlife creatures in their natural environment trying to reproduce to keep the life cycle moving are the subject of Vergano’s latest series of works. She depicts these animals as being aggressive toward one and other, which the artist has said is a metaphor illustrating the struggle many people face in life to attract someone and eventually produce new offspring.

One notable image, titled The Laws of Attraction I, features a tiger and an alligator who appear excited in the heat of the moment. The tiger has its paws positioned on the alligators tail as the alligator swerves his body around, and the two creatures exchange looks with their jaws wide open.

"The Laws of Attraction" (2014) by Cristina Vergano 

In another painting titled The Laws of Attraction XXIII, three zebras appear to be vehemently engaged in a sexual act, while Laws of Attraction XC portrays an eager monkey in a tree, holding a hummingbird that he captured while being surrounded by two other hummingbirds and butterflies. 

Similarly, Laws of Attraction XXI depicts a parrot on a tree branch, flamboyantly flapping its wings and lifting his chest to stave off a horde of hummingbirds. Though Vergano’s wild animals are in confrontation, the winner of these struggles is not revealed. The works in this show also touch on the idea that all humans have an inner warrior that rises to confront life’s challenges, and Vergano has said that, “The fight is a vital expression of passion, the essence of life itself.” 

At the Woodward Gallery, 133 Eldridge St., through Dec. 21. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m., and Sundays from 12p.m.—5 p.m.

Paintings inspired by classic Chinese novel on view at Chelsea gallery

The Chambers Fine Art gallery in Chelsea is currently presenting Transformation, an exhibition featuring recent works by Wu Jian’an. While he often works with paper cut-outs, Wu also experiments with other materials such as metal and ox hide.

The most prominent piece in the show is the painting Nirvana of the White Ape where the artist derives inspiration from the 16th Century Ming Dynasty novel Journey to the West. Wu creates an environment by using watercolors and colored wax to convey his interpretation of the legendary story about adventures of a Tang Dynasty priest called Sanzang and his three disciples, Monkey, Pig, and Friar Sand, as they travel west in search of Buddhist Sutra, and conquering evil spirits along the way.

"Nirvana of the White Apes" (2014) by Wi Jian'an

These paintings are accompanied by a group of recent paper-cut works that illustrate his fascination with patterns of connectivity and using various element to reveal mysterious truths. Wu’s Faces series depict the animals in the names of each work. For instance, in Faces Oriole, he uses multiple layers of hand dyed wax paper and cotton thread to portray various creatures such as snakes, fish, birds, and enlarged faces clustered together in the shape of a bird’s head. These characters are laid out in symmetrical form with both halves of the shape delineating the same design on each side.

Two other works in the show 88 Color Balls and 792 Overlapping Color Balls, are both watercolor paintings of multi-colored circles grouped together so closely that they overlap causing the colors to blend smoothly and forming eloquent patterns. There are also unique patterns found within each circle as well. For instance, in 88 Color Balls some of the things that can be seen in each circle include spirals, triangles, zigzags, small dots varying in size resembling micro-organisms, and one circle even contains a Jewish star. Wu Jia’an’s fascination with mythological and enigma are undoubtedly conveyed with this latest body of work.

At Chambers Fine Art, 522 W. 19th St., through Dec. 20. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 10 a.m.—6 p.m.

Pat Passlof's paintings from the 1950s on view at Chelsea gallery

Pat Passlof’s works are currently on view at a Chelsea gallery for the exhibition Paintings From the 1950s. The show offers the late Abstract Expressionist painter’s classic masterpieces that created as a rising artist throughout the entire 1950s decade. Passlof grew up in New York City and studied at Black Mountain College where she worked alongside Williem de Kooning who was one of her most important influences and who introduced her to her future husband, fellow Abstract Expressionist painter Milton Resnick.

By 1951, Passlof became known on the New York City art scene while working at a studio on Tenth Street in Manhattan, and participated in several group exhibitions. Willem de Kooning, Milton Resnick, Hans Hoffman, Ad Reinhardt, and Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollack among others were all part of the budding Abstract Expressionist scene in New York. Passlof’s early works are vivid and tumultuous and inspiration from her contemporaries is quite evident.

"Chestnut Street" (1955) by Pat Passloff

One poignant work from this show titled March Bird, depicts a small bird standing off the edge of a building or cliff while looking down into a stream of water, capturing the creature’s ambivalence about starting out on to new adventures. 

In another work titled Theatre, we see a contrast in background color with sky blue on one side, overpowered by the magenta on the other side. In an intriguing piece titled Wall, the face of human figure can be seen shouting at an indistinct object. Passlof makes use of many colors such as light pink, pale yellow, gold, red, green, sky blue, and navy blue.

At The Elizabeth Harris Gallery, 529 W. 20th St., through Dec. 20. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m.

Herb Fixler's eloquent photographs featured at Midtown health club

An upscale health club in Manhattan is presenting a stunning exhibition in its art gallery space that offers work by local and international artists. This current show features eloquent and ethereal photographs by Herb Fixler, taken throughout New York City and desirable places across the country and around the world. Some of these images are in black and white while others are in color.

The works in this show include both rural and urban landscapes, as well as portraits of people in certain environments and situations. For instance, photograph titled Down and Out on Park Avenue portrays a homeless individual bundled up in the snow with a cardboard box in front of him in hopes of receiving contributions from those walking by. 

One of Fixler’s more iconic photographs Brooklyn Waterfront features the beauty of the Brooklyn Bridge lit up at night with the bright lights of the borough on the other side and the moon peeking out behind the clouds. Another iconic image in the show Winter Dreams I was taken inside Central Park in the Wintertime with snow completely covering the ground and trees. Groups of people wearing colorful coats can be seen in the distance and in the foreground a family of a father and two kids are playing in the snow. The picture was taken near the southern end of the park as the two towers representing the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle can be seen in the background.

"Winter Dreams I" by Herb Fixler

While Fixler resides in New York City, he is also an avid traveler having visited places such as South Carolina, France, Italy, Cambodia, and Thailand just to name a few. Notable works taken in the U.S. include Moonrise At Hurricane Ridge taken at Olympic National Park in Washington State depicting a full moon rising over the mountains, Botany Bay Trees taken by the ocean at Botany Bay in Edisto Beach shortly after sunrise, and illustrating the still water of the famous lake in the Adirondack Mountains, with Whiteface Mountain shown in the background. Other landscape photographs taken outside the U.S. include Fishing at Kaew Pond taken in Thailand, and the black and white Angkor Wat illustrating the historic Cambodian site reflected in a small body of water.

At The Manhattan Athletic Club Gallery, 277 Park Ave. (between 47th and 48th streets) through Nov. 30. The gallery is open Mon.—Fri. from 5:30 a.m.—10 p.m., and Sat.—Sun. from 9 a.m.—6 p.m.