October 2013 Gallery Round Up: Minimalism Rules


Rod Penner, Farmers Co-op Gin/Anson, TX, 2012, acrylic on canvas @Ameringer|McEnery|Yohe

Tesumi Kudo, Paul Thek & Hannah Wilke, Counter Forms @Andrea Rosen Gallery

Arlene Shechet, Slip @Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

Mathew Day Jackson @Hauser & Wirth

Thomas Eggerer, Carousel, 2013, Acrylic on canvas @Petzel

Jonas Wood, Leslie and Michael, 2013, oil and acrylic on canvas @Anton Kern Gallery

Raymond Pettibon, To Wit @David Zwirner

Barry McGee, September 12 – October 26, 2013 @Cheim and Read

Bjarne Melgaard & Eckhaus Latta, Ignorant Transparencies @GBE

Bjarne Melgaard, Ignorant Transparencies @GBE

David Ryan, n2yo.com/satellite/?s=20580, 2013, Acrylic on gator foam @Galerie Richard

Terry Haggerty, The Nearness of Objects @Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

John McCracken, Works from 1963-2011 @David Zwirner

Robert Ryman, Recent Paintings @Pace Gallery

Josh Smith @Luhring Augustine Chelsea

Josh Smith @Luhring Augustine Bushwick

Carol Bove, RA, or Why is an orange like a bell? @Maccarone

Terry Haggerty, The Nearness of Objects @Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

John McCracken, Works from 1963-2011 @David Zwirner

Morgan Fisher, Interior Color Beauty @Bortolami

Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks

Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks
Anne Truitt Threshhold: Works from the 1970s @Mathew Marks


As it sometimes (or maybe often) happens in Chelsea or Lower Eastside, many galleries, either organically or not, decide to show very similar types of work at the same time. It seemed that October was a monochrome month in Chelsea. Matthew Marks showed Anne Truit‘s work from the 70s (Photo 1) and David Zwirner‘s new space on 20th Street looked good with John McCracken survey (Photos 3 & 4). In addition, there were many others: Morgan Fisher at Bortolami (Photo 2), Robert Ryman at Pace Gallery (Photo 5) and Josh Smith at Luhring Augustine Chelsea (Photo 6). Josh Smith might have shown painterly aspects of his monochrome paintings at his Chelsea show, but by the time I went into Luhring Augustine, I could not look at another monochrome/geometric abstraction. Smith’s show at Luhring Augustine Bushwick (Photo 7) provides somewhat of a counterpoint to his Chelsea show with colorful paintings of palm trees that resemble postcards from acid trips and shelves of eccentric ceramics. For minimalist sculptures, Carol Bove seems to channel Sol LeWitt at Maccarone (Photo 8).

Thankfully there were some interesting exhibitions outside the purview of minimalism; I enjoyed the works of Hannah Wilke and Paul Thek in a group exhibition called Counter Forms at Andrea Rosen Gallery (Photo 15). Barry McGee (Photo 14) and Jonas Wood (Photo 19) brought some California cool to paintings. One painting show that stood out for me was Rod Penner at Ameringer McEnery Yohe (Photo 21). At first glance, I dismissed now banal landscapes of declining American rust belt as I mistook Penner’s small acrylic paintings as color photographs because of the size and photo-realistic quality of the work. Bjarne Melgaard also brought some much needed manic energy to his everything-goes show at GBE (Photos 12 & 13). Here’s to more diverse showing in November!

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