At Home with Domicile at Fountain House Gallery

Title Wall, Domicile (works from left to right:Miguel Colón “Three Vignettes” (2018) ; Boo Lynn Walsh,”Bain Joyeux” (Joyous Bath) (2017); Laura Anne Walker, “South Western Hospitality” (2018) and Walker, “Spring Showers Bring May Flowers,” (2018).

Fountain House Gallery, located in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood is currently presenting a group show entitled Domicile. Curated by Audra Lambert, the show features work by approximately 40 artists whose paintings, sculptures, photographs, and mixed media works convey themes revolving around domestic life. These include interior scenes in living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens alongside depictions of cities or towns where the artists grew up, flanking images of prized possessions and portrayals of loved ones. For instance, Boo Lynn Walsh’s installation entitled Home Is Where the Heart Is consists of a small table covered in a quilt embroidered with both square and circular designs with names of loved ones stitched into the corners. Surrounding the table are various photographs and a book of Mother Goose while on the table itself is an open suitcase with black and white family photos including that of two children in the center, a box of crayons, stuffed animals, and an open book of “Raggedy Ann Stories.” Walsh also has a painting in the show entitled Bain Joyeux (Joyous Bath) that has a very relaxed feeling.

Domicile (works from left to right, beginning with mirror to plinth and across: Ariella Kadosh works from Nest by AK series (2018); Saverio Penza “Bread Basket” and “Blueberry Basket” (2018); Bernadette Corcoran “A Storm in my Backyard No. 2” (2018); Bryan Michael Green Cigar Box Dioramas 1&2 (2013); Glenn Goldstein “Side of House” (1982).

Other notable installations include those by Alyson Vega including a small-scale installation entitled The Princess Bed featuring a bed holding a stack of mattresses inspired by the classic children’s fairytale, The Princess and the Pea.

One love that many of these artists share is that of felines, and at least one cat can be seen in many of the paintings. Artworks in this vein include two similar paintings entitled At Home by Elizabeth Borisov and Winter Dream by Catherine Borisov: two artists who are actually twins! At Home depicts a couple relaxing on their terrace with the woman sitting in a chair with a grey cat in her lap while Winter Dream depicts a family sitting at their dining room table with a decorated Christmas tree and snow that can be seen out the windows. The mother sits in a chair knitting a ball of yarn as her son plays with the grey kitten lying on a small rug.

Front Room Installation view, Domicile, featuring center installation by Bou Lynn Walsh, “Home is Where the Heart is” (2018).

Also of note is Welcome to My World, Come on in by Linda Bienstock which is a collage made from acrylic and felt depicting a woman relaxing on a lounge chair in her living room next to her coffee table as her black and white cat is sprawled out on her couch against the wall. To the left of the couch is a bookshelf and a painting hanging on the wall.

One work capturing fleeting notions of innocence is Infant Garden by Louise Kavadllo featuring painted in pastel colors. As the name suggests, the piece illustrates a baby resting in a crib placed in a garden replete with various types of flowers, butterflies, and a bunny rabbit. Also of interest is a black and white drawing by Gail Shamchenko entitled Boy in His Playhouse depicting a pre-teen or teenage boy by himself in a house composed of various shapes and patterns, perhaps representing the fact the boy is living in a type of fantasy realm.

Back Room Installation view, Domicile, featuring works by Max McInnis, Alyson Vega, Angela Rogers, Camille Eskell, Debra Nevin, Davida Adedjouma and Olivia Jane Huffman.

Fountain House Gallery supports artists working through mental illness, and this exhibit features works selected from an open call of artists from the Fountain House community, alongside contemporary works by artists Camille Eskell, Max McInnis and Olivia Jane Huffman. Domicile is on view at Fountain House Gallery, 702 Ninth Ave. through Oct. 24. The gallery is open Tue.-Sat. from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Good Fences Make Intricate Neighbors: The Border and Galerie Protege Team Up To Wide Acclaim

Through eras of American culture, from Robert Frost to Little House on the Prairie to Home Improvement, neighbors have always played an important role in the American psyche. Now, an innovative group exhibition hosted in two parts between Manhattan and Brooklyn (neighboring boroughs in New York City) gives us insights into the creative world of artists by peeking at their work over the fence, so to speak. Intricate Neighbors I & Intricate Neighbors II, the two components of this group exhibition, draw from the impact that neighboring countries exert on each other by viewing artworks by artists from North America, South Korea, Pakistan and other locales.

The works in this exhibition, created by artists the world over, include paintings, sculpture, drawing and new media. Both locations are set up to depict an outdoor setting as though entering a neighbor’s backyard with the floor covered in artificial grass and vines mixed with purple and other kinds of colorful flowers. The Border gallery exhibit, on view through June 10, complements the portion on view at Galerie Protege through June 17, Intricate Neighbors II: allowing insights into the aesthetic of the exhibit as a two-part yet unified whole.

Intricate Neighbors II installation view at Galerie Protege (courtesy Galerie Protege)

Intricate Neighbors I contains a stunning painting, “Dinner”, by Korean artist Ara Cho. The work features an outline of a nude woman’s body kneeling underneath a dining room table as grass grows beneath her. Her neck and head are transformed into a flower pot rising up onto the table, pink and blue flowers emerging from its soil. An overhead kitchen lamp bathes the flowers in light, while another nude figure – denoted only by its visible legs – is seated at the table with a knife and fork in hand. Another Korean artist, Hyon Gyon, displays the artwork “My 1990s”, featuring assemblages of acrylic paint, artificial flowers, and fabrics on canvas that burst open with color and energy.

Intricate Neighbors II includes another oil and fabric painting by Cho, “The Colorful Lunch”. Similar to “Dinner”, Cho delves into an imaginary fantasy world including such figures as a human body with a horse’s head attached. This reverse centaur hybrid wears a dark blue suit, sitting on the grass supported by his elbow, with his other hand pointing out an imaginary person. A headless nude female figure sits across from him as plants sprout from her neck. Above her is a rainbow, and a dark cloud made from fabric, the only three-dimensional element of the piece. Surreal and jarring the work combines to exude a disorienting effect.

Intricate Neighbors I installation view, The Border (56 Bogart – image courtesy The Border)

“Basic Pulley Theory” by Denise Treizman also makes an impression. The work consists of a rope hanging from the ceiling with colorful ceramic tires on either end. One end is meant to be heavier than the other as it drags to the ground leaving the other hanging end suspended up in the air.

Notably, a short video by Bolo (a duo consisting of artists Qinza Najm and Saks Afridi) makes an appearance. Titled “Carousel”, the work features a 3-D animated “dictator” character with voice narrations by actor Charlie Chaplin from his 1940 film The Great Dictator reciting phrases such as “humanity is lost and has been replaced by machines” and “we must replace cleverness with kindness.”

Intricate Neighbors I is on view through June 10 at The Border, 56 Bogart St., Brooklyn, NY. The project space is open on weekends from 1-6 p.m. and by appointment during the week. Intricate Neighbors II is on view at Galerie Protégé, 197 9th Avenue, New York, NY, through Jun. 17. The gallery is open Mon.-Sat. from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Laurie Simmons' "Clothes Make the Man"

For four decades, Laurie Simmons has made a name for herself in the New York City art scene as well as internationally. She is best known for creating and photographing her life-size dolls, ventriloquist dummies, mannequins. With latest exhibition in Chelsea entitled Clothes Make the Man: Works From 1990-1994 she uses her signature dummies and mannequins to create images that explore various personal, psychological, and political subtexts. The show is divided into three individual series: Walking and Lying Objects, Café of the Inner Mind, and Clothes Make the Man.

The first series entitled Clothes Make the Man, consists of six men in the form of mannequins all sitting in chairs and dressed in a variety of outfits including a bathrobe and pajamas, a black suit and tuxedo, or different types of business attire. Their clothes are the only thing that make these otherwise identical men unique emphasizing the extent to which society can judge a person based on how they dress.

Take My Wife by Laurie Simmons

You Better Believe It by Laurie Simmons

Simmons’ Café of the Inner Mind Series consists of mostly large-scale prints featuring male ventriloquist dummies in various settings. Each dummy has a “thought bubble” coming out of his head revealing their simple as well as deepest desires. For instance, Caroline’s Field features a man sitting alone in an open grassy field daydreaming about engaging in a sexual act with two other women. Another image entitled Mexico features a man sitting alone in a dark stairwell imagining himself in a Mexican mariachi band. 

Gold Cafe by Laurie Simmons

Also of note is Gold Café featuring three men sitting together in a restaurant with one man imagining a woman in striped stocking and black heels, another man thinking of an airplane pilot, and the third man is imagining being held by a young woman with the setting resembling an old 1930s or ‘40s classic Hollywood film.

Sitting Turkey Dinner by Laurie Simmons

Walking Tomato by Laurie Simmons

The third series entitled Walking and Lying Objects features five large-scale monochromatic prints featuring female legs in mannequin form who are either sitting or walking with a different type of delectable food representing her other half conveying human craving for various comfort foods. Images that feature seated figures include Sitting Turkey and Sitting Steak Dinner featuring traditional servings of turkey and steak dinners respectively. The images that feature figures walking include Walking Tomato capturing the bright red and ripe vegetable, Walking Hot Dog depicting a juicy hot dog on a fresh bun, and Walking Doughnut depicting the fresh treat topped with sweet, pink icing.

Untitled (Band) by Laurie Simmons

Finally, one image that is independent from the other three series and that feels truly iconic is and untitled small-scale image in which Simmons’ dummies act as the Beatles posing for a photo wearing their distinctive their early ‘60s suits.

At the Mary Boone Gallery, 541 W. 24th St., through Jul. 27. The gallery is open Tue.-Sat. from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Naomi Nemtzow's Urban Landscapes at the Bowery Gallery

The Bowery Gallery in Chelsea is currently presenting a series of recent works by Naomi Nemtzow for a show entitled Close to Home. Urban life is one of Nemtzow’s most common themes and for her eleventh solo show at the gallery, she unveils several drawings and paintings depicting daily life in her quiet, Brooklyn neighborhood.

Through her effective use of color and light, she conveys a sense of the time of day. For instance, Red Tree, Blue Sky offers the notion of a windy, Autumn day with the swirly brushstrokes of the light blue sky and the red leaves of a sidewalk tree whose branch is bent, leaning toward the street against some parked cars. On the other side of the sidewalk is a park with trees that have green and yellow leaves whose branches are leaning in the opposite direction of the red trees. With Red Tree, Gray Day, the viewer gets a sense of a cloudy, dreary afternoon with a gray sky, and trees whose leaves are leaning toward the ground of the sidewalk, casting their shadow.

Red Tree Blue Sky  by Naomi Nemtzow

Besides trees, Nemtzow uses other objects to capture the character of her neighborhood. With works like her two Windsor Place July paintings and her two Across the Street paintings, represent how the houses and trees on her block and neighboring blocks look in the summertime. Nemtzow also depicts the different aspects of 7th Avenue with works like 7th Avenue with Mailbox, with a communal mailbox on a street corner, 7^th Avenue with White Minivan, with a parked, white minivan, and 7^th Avenue with Garbage Cans featuring a group garbage cans outside resident’s homes.

7th Avenue with Mailbox by Naomi Nemtzow

In addition to her ode to the neighborhood she’s lived most of her life, 

Nemtzow also offers a painting inspired by Giovanni Bellini’s painting The Ecstasy of St. Francis (a.k.a. St. Francis of the Desert). Like the Italian Renaissance master, Nemtzow captures St. Francis of Assisi stepping out from his cave, into the sun, taking in his surroundings.

St. Francis lived under poor conditions in the beginning of his sainthood and used to participate in isolated spiritual retreats at monasteries. Both Bellini’s and Nemtzow’s depictions are perhaps the most symbolic portrayal of the saint with animals in the picture representing His love for nature and animals.

Study, Bellini's St. Francis No. 2 by Naomi Nemtzow

At the Bowery Gallery 530 W. 25th St., through May 19. The gallery is open Tue.-Sat. from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.