Donna Cleary's new installation featured at Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar

A new art installation at a popular West Village wine and dessert bar is catching the eye of many neighborhood residents. Featured on display inside the Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar’s window is an installation by artist Donna Cleary called Helix.  This intriguing work of art features a giant, spiraled black and yellow tube snaking its way around a mannequin with a brown dress. The tube can be seen entering through her chest and exiting through a hole located in the lower part of the dress, while another hole in the chest has a candle pointing from it.

Cleary’s body of work consists of sculptures, collages, works on paper, and mixed media installations. She often collects objects most of which have been broken or thrown away and combines them with natural elements such as those growing on trees in the forest. Cleary see trash as a symbol of a disposable society and a material culture.

"Helix" by Donna Cleary

Helix was selected this month to be part of Ayzart, an art space at Ayza’s West Village location. Ayzart was established in February 2013 with the intention of highlighting both emerging and established artists’ creativity within a small space, and bringing their art out into the open blending in with urban life. The bar itself is known for serving up the most original variations of wine and chocolate treats such as their Peppermint Chocolate Martini made with Godiva chocolate liquor and Peppermint Schnapps, or their Silky Chocolate Mousse. 

Ayza has locations in both the West Village and one in West Midtown just a few blocks away from Macy’s and Penn Station. At Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar, One Seventh Ave. South, through Aug. 29.

Japanese artists with diverse careers present digital works at the Pace Gallery

A group of Japanese artists known as teamLab are currently presenting a compilation of digital works for the exhibition Ultra Subjective Space at The Pace Gallery. Founded in 2001 by Toshiyuki Inoke and several college classmates, teamLab is comprised of individuals strive to find a balance between technology, art, commerce, and creativity. Their talents range from animation, performance, fashion design, mathematics, and medical science.

The works in this show revolve around the notion of spatial awareness. For instance, one piece titled Crows are chased and the chasing crows are destined to be chased as well. Division in Perspective—Light in Dark, makes use of “Itano Circus,” a special Japanese animation technique crated by Ichiro Itano. The name “Itano Circus” describes the artist’s unique style of flight choreography. The piece illustrates a mythical three-legged crow known as Yatagarasu, who flies up into space followed by more swarms of crows.

Other works in the show include Flower and Corpse Glitch Set of 12 tells the story of Japanese Civilization, as well as instances of natural disaster, war, and rebirth. Similarly, Ever Blossoming Life Gold and Dark illustrates images of flowers in their stages of life from blooming, to wilting, to shedding their petals.

"Ever Blossoming Life (Gold)" (2014)

Universe of Water Particles captures a powerful scene of a waterfall descending down five vertically stacked monitors, while Cold Life, by the calligrapher Sisyu conveys the meaning of life through a series of brushstrokes that grow and transform into a tree that eventually gives way to new life.

TeamLab has exhibited extensively throughout Asia and abroad.

At The Pace Gallery’s locations at 508 and 510 W. 25th St., through Aug. 15. The gallery is open Mon.—Thurs. from 10 a.m.—6 p.m., and Fri from 10 a.m.—4 p.m.

Wendy White pays tribute to Spain at East Harlem project space

A project space in East Harlem is currently featuring a show by Wendy White titled Madrid Me Mata.

For this show, White presents work that pays tribute to the Galeria Moriarty in Madrid, and Spanish culture in general. These include mostly large-scale paintings hung on a wall in a circular frame with text painted on the front.

These works evoke the spirit of La Movida Madrelina, a movement that originated in Spain in the 1980s that embraced freedom of expression and transgression from the taboos imposed by General Franco during his reign from 1939—1975.

White captures the time period with memorabilia such as magazine covers and film posters that honoring the influential Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar. White also gives her viewers a taste of Spanish sports such as futobal (a form of football), and the popularity of the World Cup in the States this year. This comes across in works such as La Luna de Madrid and Real Madrid.

"La Luna de Madrid" (2014) by Wendy White

In 1984, the futobal team “Real Madrid” won the UEFA Cup, with a group of players known as La Quinta del Buitre (The Vulture Squad) whose athletic style highlighted Madrid’s independence. The painting Real Madrid reflects this with the number 84 painted in bright yellow, against green strokes of paint. The piece is secured in a gold frame, shaped like a crown representing royalty.

La Luna de Madrid, represents futobal and Spain’s lively culture; the inspiration came from a magazine of the same name. The painting features what appears to be an image of a bird standing on the edge of a cliff with its chest raised and long paint strokes behind it representing wings. In the upper left corner is a sticker of a soccer ball positioned directly over an obscured image of a net. The soccer ball represents the moon shining its light over the city.

 At Arts and Leisure, 1571 Lexington Ave. (between 100 and 101 streets), through Sept. 1. The gallery is open Wed.—Sun. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m., or by appointment.

Hank Blaustein's gift for design and keen observations are evident in latest show

A series of sketches and watercolor paintings by Hank Blaustein are currently on view in Chelsea. The exhibition, Drawn to Life: A Sketchbook Diary, features eloquent and detailed works by Blaustein who has been drawing his observations of the world around him, from the moment he could hold a pencil.

Blaustein’s subjects are people, places, and various aspects of life that catch his eye. He re-creates what he sees exactly how he sees them, and effectively captures the soul and personality.

One notable watercolor piece, Budapest Chess and Budapest Baths depicts a group of four men outside, presumably on a hot summer day as they all appear topless. Two of the men are sitting at one table playing in a game of chess; one man has a stern expression on his face while the other looks very bored.

One of the other men in the image is looking over the bored man’s shoulder, and the fourth man is sitting at a neighboring table where he’s resting his foot and watching the other two men finish the game. Blaustein excels greatly at capturing the relaxed ambience of the scene.

"Chess Budapest Baths" by Hank Blaustein

Other notable works in the show include 7th Avenue Sterling Place where Blaustein brings to life an elegant complex of apartments on a peaceful street corner, and Teatro Massimo Palermo that features a man in the audience of a theater with his arm draped over the balcony as he listens to and watches the performance.

Blaustein is a native of Brooklyn and is a frequent traveler to many places across the country and around the world. He is constantly inspired by the world around him whether it's in his hometown or on his many adventures. He has won many awards in group shows such as the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, and he’s had solo shows at Gallery at Lincoln Center and A.M. Adler, in New York, and Morgan State University in Baltimore. 

In addition, Blaustein is a popular choice for editorial and book illustration with his work being featured in major publications such as Grant’s Interest Rate Observer and Barron’s, as well as the New York Times, the Village Voice, Newsday, the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and the New Yorker. 

At The Blue Mountain Gallery, 530 W. 25th St., through Jul. 26. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m.

'New Acquaintances' come together in new Chelsea group show

This month, four artists come together to participate in the latest group show New Acquaintances—works by GAMA, Fu Xiaotong, Wang Fengge, and Chen Baoyang. These artists come from different backgrounds and have different styles, but all of their work centers upon the history of Chinese art.

One of the artists known as “GAMA,” is from Mongolia and is influenced by shamanism, which is the study of understanding human consciousness. After studying painting at the Karlsruhe Academy of Art, and the New Leipzig School both in Germany, he became familiar with the works of well-known contemporary artists such as Gustav Kluge, Gehrard Richter, and Georg Baselitz. 

One of GAMA’s paintings in this show is Gemach II (Chamber II) featuring a bed with several colorful sheets and mattress stacked on top with items such as postcards, stockings, or a toy elf hanging from the edges. Another intriguing work by GAMA is Seltene Erde II (Rare Earth II which illustrates a keyboard with splotches of dirt on top from which several mushrooms, both small and large, have grown. A group of wolves are gathered by the trunks and on top of the tallest mushroom, a monkey can be seen feeding a bird.

"Seltene Earth II (Rare Earth II)" by GAMA

Wang Fengge is from Shanxi and a graduate of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. For this show, she offers paintings on a monochromatic canvas that show obscured images of buildings and landscapes. Like Fengge, Fu Xiatong is also from Shanxi and also studied at Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts. She works with handmade paper and then engages in the rigorous process of digging into the paper with a needle to make marks ranging from pin-pricks to directional slashes to emphasize the details of vast mountain ranges.

Chen Baoyang is the youngest artist of the group from Hangzhou, who studied photography, video, and related media at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His father is a painter and has therefore, been exposed to the continuity of the Chinese visual culture. His works in this show include The Spring of Su Di, and Coming Home, which are inkjet on Chinese silk images of haphazard design patterns.

About his work, Baoyang says, “I convert the brushwork to create new arrangements of pixels and color information based upon the original Shan Shui (Chinese landscape) paintings. . . my digital methodologies provide me working techniques of universalism, repetition, randomness and effortless-action.”

At Chambers Fine Art, 522 W. 19th St., through Aug. 16. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 10 a.m.—6 p.m. There will be an opening reception Jul. 10 from 6—8 p.m.

Danish artist captures 'The Power of Silence' at Chelsea gallery

A collection of outstanding works by critically acclaimed multimedia artist Peter Martensen are currently on display in Chelsea. In his latest exhibition titled The Power of Silence, Martensen presents oil on canvas paintings, charcoal drawings, and lithographs that revolve around the themes of isolation and loss of individuality in the midst of today’s busy, fast-moving society. He uses monochromatic color patterns often choosing hues of grey and blue, and many of his works illustrate groups of people who each appear to be in their own world, not relating to others.

For instance, The Waiting features six men standing in a lake with the water coming up to their shoulders; each one of them are wearing business shirts and are looking down or out into the distance. Pieces of paper can be seen floating in the sepia colored water, and the shadows of each man are indicated by a darker shade of brown. At the bottom of the image, a village with trees and houses can be seen.

In another painting, The Park, several people are seen in a large public outdoor space and not engaging with one and other. In the distance, one man dressed in white is kneeling down on a patch of grass while another man in the foreground is collecting a batch of leaves, as a man dressed in a blue suit is standing next to him with his hands on his hips and a stern expression on his face. On the other side of the image, a man is standing next to a tree with bare branches, holding a suitcase and papers are scattered near his feet.

"The Park" by Peter Martensen

Some of Martensen’s paintings feature subjects who are completely alone such as in The Attention, where an elderly woman appears lost as she is standing in a pathway in a forest. Other notable works include two paintings, titled The Listener 1 and The Listener 2 respectively both of which are up-close portraits of two young women listening intently to what is happening on the other side of the wall.

Martensen is from Denmark and studied at The Academy of Fine Arts in Odense before attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. 

His work has been featured in group exhibitions at the Bertrand Delacroix Gallery in the past and has had numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout Europe, and his work is part of several prominent public collections, including the Statens Museum in Denmark, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Gothenburg Art Museum in Sweden. 

In addition, Martensen has been commissioned to make pieces for the NOKIA Head Office and Saxo Bank Head Office in Copenhagen, among several other corporate commissions. He currently lives and works in Hellerup, a small Danish town just outside of Copenhagen. At The Bertrand Delacroix Gallery, 535 W. 25th St., through Jul. 5. The gallery is open Tues.—Sat. from 10 a.m.—6 p.m.

Two artists' perceptions of nature at separate gallery shows

Two exhibitions that are currently on display at two different gallery spaces in the same building both offer alluring representations of the world around us and how our natural habitats appear during different times of the day and different times of the year.

Arthur Levine presents an exquisite collection of acrylic paintings and drawings for his Landscapes and Drawings show. He illustrates open, outdoor scenes of castles sitting atop grassy hills, and images of bridges and sailboats in the water. Variations of light and dark colors are used to emphasize the time of day and the weather patterns. Levine’s drawings are precise black and white executions of mountains and villages.

Landscape Painting by Arthur Levine

The other show is one by Joyce Silver titled Nature’s Melody that features a collection of Silver’s vibrant paintings and other works that welcome the spring and summer seasons with images of sunshine and flowers that follow the darker days of the winter season. One installation known as Forest, however, is a more somber and reflective piece in the show that features poles representing tree trunks and serves as a memorial of the Holocaust.

Arthur Levine’s show is on display at the Prince Street Gallery, and Joyce Silver’s show is on display at the Noho/M55 Gallery. Both gallery spaces are located at 530 W. 25th St., on the 4th floor, and are both open Tues.—Sat. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m. The exhibitions will be on display until Jun. 14.