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.
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| "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.
