Titus Kaphar's poignant works on view in Chelsea and Harlem

Rising contemporary artist Titus Kaphar is gaining major prominence in the New York City art scene. In addition to an exhibition currently on view at The Studio Museum in Harlem, his work is also being featured at two Chelsea galleries this month.

Jack Shainman Gallery is presenting two exhibitions of Kaphar’s work at both of its Chelsea locations. One of these shows titled Drawing the Blinds, features a collection of paintings in which the canvas is cut, slashed, stripped, layered, and peeled. With these works, Kaphar manipulates these images to create an alternate history.

For instance Gift of Shrouded Descent, features an iconic image of George Washington but Kaphar hides the figure so that the viewer focuses on the young man and horse in the background, a part of the narrative that is often overlooked. Similarly, in a painting of Thomas Jefferson titled Behind the Myth of Benevolence, in which a layer of painting is peeled and folded over to reveal a darker, alternate history.

Also intriguing is Collaging the Emptiness III which features a symmetric flipped image of a figure from the chest up where the top half is covered in gold leaf, while the lower half is covered in fabric. These cut-out shapes cover the faces of two individuals kneeling over parts of a basket with a baby’s legs visible inside, as an unattached hand hold it. The figures stand out with their color against a gray backdrop of the inside of their home.

One big highlight of the show is a mixed media piece titled Columbus Day Painting which references John Vanderlyn’s iconic painting of Columbus’ landing. In Kaphar’s work, Columbus and his explorers are hidden by a textured material, drawing attention to other elements of the painting, such as the explorer’s flags and weapons, and the native American figures in the background who seem apprehensive of these strangers who are claiming the land.

 The other show titled, Asphalt and Chalk, is part of a larger body of work, known as The Jerome Project, which Kaphar began working on in 2011. The idea for the Jerome Project came about when Kaphar came across his father’s mug shot online, he came across the mug shots of the several other young men who had the same first and last name as his father.

The younger Kaphar began working on a series of small portraits of these men based on their mug shots, painting them with oil and gold leaf and dipping them in tar. The amount of tar covering each person’s face varies, representing the proportion of time each individual has spent in prison.

With these smaller-scale works on view at the Studio Museum, Kaphar presents two large-scale Jerome paintings in his Jack Shainman exhibition. Other works in the Asphalt and Chalk exhibition include drawings in which Kaphar layers the mug shots he has collected, resulting in distorted images. Both the Jerome paintings and the mug shot drawings represent a group of African American men who are excessively represented in our nation’s prison population.

Asphalt and Chalk also includes paintings where Kaphar uses a technique he calls “white washing.” These works have swift, white paint covering the subjects where Kaphar uses a form of erasure, obscuring and removing a subject entirely. One such painting titled Yet Another Fight for Remembrance is an example of the “white washing” and depicts two black males raising their arms. The painting was commissioned by TIME magazine for their Person of the Year issue and responds to the Ferguson protestors.

Drawing the Blinds will be on view at The Jack Shainman Gallery’s 513 W. 20th St. location, and Asphalt and Chalk will be on view at the gallery’s 524 W. 24th St. location through Feb. 21. Both gallery locations are open Tues.—Sat. from 10 a.m.—6 p.m.

Rita Baragona illustrates how 'The Eye's Mind' captures nature

The Bowery Gallery in Chelsea is currently presenting a series of works by Rita Baragona for a show titled The Eye’s Mind.

For this show, Baragona presents several drawings and paintings that reflect her appreciation and perception of nature. In her eye’s mind, she observes the spiritual energy and beauty of what she sees around her and eloquently translates it on to the canvas, and her subjects often include flowers, landscapes, and oceans.

One uplifting painting titled Joyous Spring Window Dance features a vase sitting on a windowsill holding violet-colored flowers that are energized by the sun, and blend in with the rhythmic movement of the trees and pink flowers in the background. Similarly, Light Reflections also features a vase holding pink roses in the center of a dining room table and the sun bursting with energy into the room. 

"Joyous Spring Window Dance" 

In Winter Blue Shadows, however, blue is the dominant color as winter is associated with cool temperatures and shorter days and the blue helps provide that calming sensation. In this painting, a collection of daisies are held in a large blue cup of water sitting on a dining room table by the window. Blue is also the color of the tablecloth, the windowsill, and the shadow of the hall across the way.

One of Baragona’s landscape paintings in the show titled Pulse and Flow- Ocean to Clouds depicts a heavy mass of clouds in the sky hovering closely above the horizon, as the waves of the ocean prepare to break on the flat surface of the sand. On the other hand, Turbulence at Blowing Rocks illustrates more turbulent waves of the ocean crashing hard on the rocks on land as the title of the painting suggests.

At The Bowery Gallery, 530 W. 25th St., through Feb. 21. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m.

Naomi Nemtzow's poignant 'Subway Series' at Chelsea gallery

The Bowery Gallery in Chelsea is currently presenting a series of recent works by Naomi Nemtzow for an exhibition titled Subway Series. For her tenth solo show at the gallery, Nemtzow presents several drawings and collages of individuals that she has observed while riding the New York City subway, outlining each gesture and contour of her fellow commuters and creating her own poetic dialogue.

In one notable drawing titled Woman with Newspaper, Orange and Blue Nemtzow makes great use of orange, blue, purple, and neon yellow. Several passengers in the subway car are seated, while a couple of people are standing. One woman seated in the foreground reads a newspaper with a weary expression on her face; the cover of the newspaper is black and white while the insides are bright yellow. 

Similarly, a collage titled A Train #2  features a faceless woman seated on the train reading a letter, as a giant, sky blue earring hangs from her ear, while other faceless passengers can be seen seated in the background. The shapes in this collage include squares, rectangles, cylinders, and other geometric shapes, and a mix of light and bold colors.

"A Train #2" (2014) by Naomi Nemtzow

Another drawing with a pattern and color scheme that’s quite similar to A Train #2 is one called Holy Family as Seen on the A-Train, which depicts a faceless woman cradling her baby, as another passenger stands right above her near the subway doors. Several others are seated in the distance, including one who can be seen in the neighboring car.

In addition to these works in which the subjects appear tired or worn out after a long day of work, Nemtzow also offers more energetic images. For instance, Man with Laptop Sees a Star features man enthusiastically engaged with his laptop as a bright yellow star shines from his screen. 

Train Study Red, Yellow, and Gray also has a somewhat entertaining vibe, with the red, yellow, brown, and olive colors of the seats and clothes of the passengers emerging from the contrast of the light, gray background as the passengers themselves appear more alert. 

At The Bowery Gallery, 530 W. 25th St., through Feb. 21. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m.

Sam Friedman illustrates 'Happy Places' at Chelsea gallery show

The Joshua Liner Gallery is currently presenting a colorful collection of new work by Sam Friedman for the exhibition Happy Place. For his first show at the gallery, Friedman unveils several large-scale acrylic paintings in addition to 50 smaller paintings. As the title of the show suggests, these paintings illustrate different objects and places that evoke beauty and happiness, with each painting bursting with energy with vibrant colors and expressive designs.

One painting features a moon and the black night sky radiating bright shades of orange and yellow on the water below the horizon, and the piece is covered in thick and thin squiggles in colors like sky blue, purple, magenta, mauve, and light pink. Friedman uses several small dotted brushed strokes group together to illustrate grass. A similar image also features the moon against a black sky with only a few squiggle designs, where some of them represent tree branches and dotted brushstrokes of light blue and green paint representing the leaves.

"Happy Place" (2013) by Sam Friedman

In another notable painting, Friedman brings life and enthusiasm to somewhere as familiar as the front lawn or backyard of a home. A uniquely shaped navy blue watering can with an elongated cylinder on top, is sitting on some grass whose lively spirit is conveyed through its free-flowing blades. Behind the watering can is a step surround by small shown through dotted brushstrokes, representing either bushes or smaller flowers. Outlines of clouds, the red and yellow roof of the home, and a giant flower with red petals can also be seen in the foreground.

In a similar piece, a bright, curvy yellow path representing a yellow brick road, leads to the door of someplace magical like a palace or castle. On the upper left corner a large red flower can be seen partially covering the black and blue door with its petals. In the background, the moon can be seen against a red sky covered with black and mauve squiggles, as it shines over the water below the horizon, and a row of grass represented by dotted brushstrokes is lined up alongside the yellow path.

At The Joshua Liner Gallery, 540 W. 28th St., through Feb. 14. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m.

Artists illustrate FACES at latest Chelsea group show

The Anna Zorina Gallery in Chelsea is currently presenting an intriguing group exhibition of work by Bradley Hart, Alexander Kaletski, Micha Patiniott, and Hans Scheib for the show FACES.

The works that these four artists offer explore the depths of portraiture through several drawings, paintings, and sculptures. Each artist applies his own unique approach with the same dedicated curiosity and insight about the subjects.

Micha Patiniott’s offers oil paintings that have many contrasting themes, therefore leaving them open to different interpretations. One of his most intriguing works in the show is an oil on canvas painting titled Five Pencils, which emphasizes a woman’s face with her head being much larger than her body. This woman is presumably an artist, as her golden hair is tied in a bun with three colored pencils sticking out, as she holds a green pencil in her mouth and a red one in her hand. One of her olive colored eyes is opened wider than the other and there’s a rose colored spot on one of her cheeks that’s shaped like a heart.

"Five Pencils" (2014) by Micha Patiniott

Bradley Hart’s style is quite original; he begins his process by filling syringes with acrylic paint. He then fills the individual bubbles with specific colors, and then the bubble wrap is transformed into an image that references digital photography such as in the image Jeremy (Injection) where a woman can be seen with dark-rimmed glasses and her eyes wide open with a surprised expression on her face. The excess paint that drips down from the injection point dries and is carefully peeled from the back of the bubble wrap. Hart uses this to create the Impression series works, such as in the image Sara (Impression) which portrays a woman with platinum blonde hair and plump, dark red lips staring directly at the camera.

Since moving to New York City from Russia 40 years ago, Alexander Kaletski began observing the different characters he encountered and began painting their portraits on materials such as cardboard boxes and burlap. One of his most notable works in the show is a mixed media on canvas piece called Beauty in the Box that has a mostly white background with lavender and turquoise splotches and newspaper clippings. Its focal point is the face of a woman with plump lips, curly hair, and her right eye is raised wider than her left with splotches of paint presumably representing mascara dripping down.

Hans Scheib brings a special sensuality to his wooden sculptures by giving each figure its own personality through his use of color and form. For instance, Head of a Young Man is a mahogany wooden piece depicting a man from the chest up. He has a somewhat surprised expression on his face, as he appears to be staring at someone or something with wide open eyes, and has very thick hair in a rounded shape rising from his head.

 With each of these works, each artist captures elements of abstraction, memory, and social commentary to evoke empathy and introspection.

At the Anna Zorina Gallery, 533 W. 23rd St., through Feb. 21. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 10 a.m.—6 p.m.

Mamma Andersson captures life in theater at Chelsea show

David Zwirner is presenting a series of works by Swedish artist Mamma Andersson for the exhibition Behind the Curtain, in two of its gallery spaces. For this show, Andersson presents several paintings alongside two murals and often draws inspiration from archived photographs, images from old films, and old-fashioned theater sets. Her works a unique and classically timeless feel, as she juxtaposes thick brushstrokes and loose washes with clearly defined graphic lines.

Andersson’s subjects are often depicted in theatrical settings. For instance, a piece titled Ceremony features two dancers in action positioned across from each other on stage, resembling paper doll cut-outs. Similarly, Le Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie features two antique wooden dolls, on a theater set and one of the dolls is sitting in a chair with her peg arms and legs clearly outlined.

"Ceremony" (2014) by Mamma Andersson

Other intriguing works include Hangman depicting a puppet without its strings, holding onto a bar with his back turned to the viewer and where a larger shadow is projected onto the background; and Mimicry which illustrates white outlined figures standing on a table against a pink wall with diamond shaped patterns.

Furthermore, Stays alludes to theater life behind the scenes as the piece illustrates a row of corsets on a dressing table with two big ones on the end, and three smaller ones in the middle, with their reflections seen through the shiny polish of the table.

Characterized by their muted, high-contrast palette, the paintings in the exhibition address materiality and the interplay of light and shadow. In addition to the paintings, the  show will also include two of Andersson’s large-scale murals.

At David Zwirner’s two Chelsea locations, 519 and 525 W. 19th St., through Feb. 14. Both gallery locations are open Tues.—Sat. from 10 a.m.—6 p.m.

Victoria Gitman's elaborate purse paintings and drawings at Chelsea gallery

The Garth Greenan Gallery in Chelsea is currently featuring a collection of work by Victoria Gitman in a self-titled exhibition. For this show, Gitman presents seven life-sized paintings of purses made from some very colorful fur, and a series of eight figure drawings based on compositions by Old Masters.

Gitman’s paintings of these fancy purses look quite genuine as she studies them in close detail against grey backgrounds. The purses range in shape and size with both light and dark colored fur with aesthetically pleasing patterns, many of which emulate the styles of 20th century masters like Kazmir Malevich and Mark Rothko. Notable depictions include a large rectangular leopard skin handbag, a small rectangular handbag with thick, multi-colored fur, one that features half-red and half-white fur that resembles soft, curly hair as though seen from the back of a human head, and one featuring curly fur as white as snow.

Gitman’s figure drawings are very detailed and expressive, based off of Old Masters such as Bronzino and Ingres, while at the same time, the graphite on mylar material gives the works an ephemeral quality. One untitled drawing portrays a woman, wearing a dress and veil looking over her shoulder at an angelic baby reaching for her. On the left side of the image, a man’s head can be seen as another child also reaches out for her.

Victoria Gitman was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina immigrating to the United States in the late 1980s. She earned a BFA in painting from the Florida International University, and has participated in several solo shows and her work is featured in many museums across the country including at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and the Whitney Museum in New York.

At Garth Greenan Gallery, 529 W. 20th St., through Feb. 14. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 10 a.m.—6 p.m.

Schandra Singh depicts chaotic universe at Chelsea gallery show

The Thomas Erben Gallery in Chelsea will be presenting a series of works by Schandra Singh for an exhibition titled God Don’t Like Ugly. For her first solo show at the gallery Singh unveils several oil paintings of some rather exaggerated and distorted portraits.

The inspiration behind the works in this show came from some photographs Singh took while on vacationing in several places, using the subjects in her photos as the basis for her paintings, and then also incorporating elements from several of her other sketches. As she does this, she removes the individual further away from its original context turning them into a projection of Singh’s psyche, as seen through her eyes. As she studies and everyone else she encounters, they all become immersed in the same universe as they struggle with whether or not to go with the flow or fight the turbulent waters they face.

"Jean" (2014) by Schandra Singh

One image titled Shiva depicts a boy, dressed in ordinary clothes while surrounded by mysterious creatures. Shiva is standing in a puddle and has seven arms--three primary ones and a few coming out from the sides. In two of his main arms he’s carrying a green bucket in either one. He raises another one of his arms to his heart, and holds his disproportionally large head to the sky with his eyes closed, while two smaller blues eyes above him appear wide open. There appear to be two other Gods or spirits on either side of his forehead with embellished heads and miniscule bodies.

Another painting titled Jean is quite a colorful and cheerful piece. It illustrates a man and a woman standing beside each other while carrying stuffed animals. The woman has a big smile on her face as she’s holding a stuffed fish. She’s wearing a multi-colored shirt and has four eyes—two of them are where they’re supposed to be while one eye sits on top of her right eye, and the fourth eye, she’s wearing as an earring. The man is also displaying a wide, toothy grin and almost looks like a clown with his multi-colored face as he holds a stuffed turtle.

At The Thomas Erben Gallery, 526 W. 26th St., through Feb. 14. The gallery is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. There will be an opening reception at the gallery Jan. 8^th from 6—8 p.m.