This month, we rummaged through the listings and found five shows that make the mark. There are some surprising overlaps from New York to Oakland to London. Russell Tyler is exhibiting a suite of colorful, abstract paintings at Ana Cristea Gallery in New York that flirt with geometry and loaded textures.These works nicely compliment Michael Brennan’s razor paintings at the alternative space Some Walls in Oakland, CA. Meanwhile, the grandfather of a kind of sensual abstraction, Howard Hodgkin, will show his “Indian Waves” series at Gagosian in London. Our picks are as follows:
Teoría del color
Installation view at the Museo Unversitario Arte Contemporano
Mikkel Carl, Steven Cox, Russell Tyler, “On The Benefits of Delayed Gratification,” at Ana Cristea, New York
December 11, 2014–January 24, 2015
This well-rounded, group show features a healthy dose of variation in contemporary abstract painting. The delayed gratification here is the reward of sustained looking.
Howard Hodgkin, “Indian Waves,” at Gagosian, London
November 28, 2014–January 31, 2015
Hodgkin’s made several trips to India in the 60s and 70s. These visits became the fodder for a series of paintings in the early 90s that are evocative of the sensations of the surrounding environment, events, and people.
Michael Brennan, “Razor Paintings,” at Some Walls, Oakland, CA
January–February, 2015
Brooklyn favorite and film aficionado, Michael Brennan, will be showing some recent knife paintings in Oakland. Brennan’s recent monochromatic works feature a backlit, filmic quality.
“Teoría del color” at Museo Unversitario Arte Contemporano (MUAC), Mexico City
September 27, 2014–February 9, 2015
This international survey sarcastically nods to “color theory” with themes of nationalism, exploitation, and racism. On view are works that span the past decade by artists: Alexander Apóstol, Kader Attia, Zach Blas, Yutsil Cruz, Frente 3 de fevreiro, Rajkamal Kahlon, Anton Kannemeyer, Pedro Lash, Vincent Meessen, Erick Meyenberg, Daniela Ortiz, Juan Carlos Romero, Tracey Rose, Santiago Sierra, and Roberto de la Torrew.
“The Forever Now: Contemporary Painting in an Atemporal World” at MoMA, New York
December 14, 2014–April 5, 2015
MoMA’s painting survey is either loved or hated for being tame. Still, the show should be noted for its nice gender balance. There is the premature inclusion of Oscar Murillo, who has yet to outlive his 15 minutes. And then, finally, there’s Mary Weatherford and Michael Williams Williams, whose mature works show that the painting game ain’t over yet. The show features work by Richard Aldrich, Joe Bradley, Kerstin Brätsch, Matt Connors, Michaela Eichwald, Nicole Eisenman, Mark Grotjahn, Charline von Heyl, Rashid Johnson, Julie Mehretu, Dianna Molzan, Oscar Murillo, Laura Owens, Amy Sillman, Josh Smith, Mary Weatherford, and Michael Williams.
