Happy November!

“I saw a wasteland ‘Mad Max’ scenario with people dressed in S&M gear and others who looked as if they were fornicating with the earth.” — a direct quote from an Upper East Side mom expressing her disgust on the Met’s latest Great Hall exhibit. But if you’re anything like us, this only made us want to see Jacolby Satterwhite’s “A Metta Prayer” even more.

🎉 Just In

In the Museums

An-My Lê: Between Two Rivers/Giữa hai giòng sông/Entre deux rivières

📍 MoMA

⏰ Opening November 5th

🗓️ contemporary photography

❓ poetic approach to depicting the impact of politics and war by Vietnamese-American artist

🔗 see exhibit details.

Lineages: Korean Art at the MET

📍 Metropolitan Museum of Art

⏰ Opening November 7th

🗓️ from historical to contemporary

❓ juxtaposing historic works from the Museum’s collection to loans of modern and contemporary art

📏 small (~30 works)

🔗 see exhibit details.

In the Galleries

Louise Bonnet: 30 Ghosts

📍 Gagosian | 541 W 24th St

⏰ Opening November 8th

🗓️ contemporary painting

❓ paintings of dreamlike representations of gender and bodies, with specific interest in the continuity of life - the lives that precede and follow ours

🔗 see exhibit details.

➕ Opening Reception on Nov. 8 at 6-8 pm | Conversation between the artist and direct of the Swiss Institute at the gallery is on Nov. 15 at 6:30 pm

➕➕ Gagosian is also opening a Georg Baselitz exhibit on Nov. 9 at their 555 W 24th St location and a Picasso exhibit on Nov. 10 at their 21st St location, each with an opening reception

*video featuring works from Bonnet for a previous exhibit

Barbara Chase-Ribould: The Three Josephines

📍 Hauser & Wirth | Wooster St

⏰ Opening November 8th

🗓️ contemporary sculpture (b.1939)

❓ including bronze sculptures that pay tribute to civil rights activist and WWII secret agent Josephine Baker

📏 small

🔗 see exhibit details.

Dana Schutz

📍 David Zwirner | 525 and 533 W 19th St

⏰ Opening November 2nd

🗓️ contemporary painting & sculpture (b. 1976)

❓ ambitiously large and complex paintings and sculptures of allegorical scenes

🔗 see exhibit details.

In addition to these:

• Brice Marden: Let the painting (Gagosian @ 980 Madison Ave) opens Nov. 2, with an opening reception at 6-8pm

• Rob Pruitt: The Golden Hour (303 Gallery @ 555 W 21st St) opens Nov. 3

📢 Editor’s Updates

We just returned from a trip to Mexico City, which has a flourishing art scene. We wanted to share with you a few of the artworks that stood out to us at the Museo de Arte Moderno, a museum we love for both its beautiful interior space and sculpture garden. 

Bohío maya by Julio Castellanos

This painting is of humble dimensions, but its contents are striking. In this vibrant painting and busy scene, you see a rare blend of styles: a surrealist/fantastical twist on the Pre-Columbian era. The chaos, expressions, and bold colors spoke to us. 

Retablo by Carlos Mérida, 1961

Guatemalan artist Mérida was known for combining modern European influences (Cubism & Surrealism) to Mayan art, introducing a figurative quality to his abstract pieces. As you can see here, there is a human-like quality to the geometric elements. We were drawn to the piece for its impressive material - acrylic & wood - as well as its puzzle-like nature.

La creación by Antonio Nava Tirado, 1988

Mexican artist Nava, influenced by ancient tradition, directly carves volcanic stone (obsidian and marble.) The simplicity of this work is beautiful - and, of course, when you’re talking about sculpture in marble, something that is seemingly simple is actually incredibly complex. 

Even Butterflies Holds Beauty in Death by Omar Rodrígues-Graham, 2008

At a massive scale, we see the open carcass of a pig - perhaps in an impressionistic style, as it’s extremely realistic from a far but made of large strokes up close. The title “Even Butterflies Holds Beauty in Death” is quite explanatory as the artist displays this beautifully realistic dead pig. We’re drawn to the boldness and vulgarity of the work.

Enjoy the exhibits!