Heading into the dog days of summer, Half Gallery presents the aptly entitled show “Summer Swells” opening tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Swells” is Les Rogers’ ethereal collection of oil and stain in wood.
Rogers’ pastel shades impart a sense of whimsy and remind me of the unfettered imagination at play.
Only the dark wood borders contain the unbridled imagination, imposing limits or reminders of limits that we’d be better off without. Delightful abstractions swimming in color, these pictures pleasantly surprise the viewer. Through September 2.
- Tate Foley, Stratification Guaranteed
At Recession Art, catch Tate Foley’s 100% Stratification Guaranteed Or Your Money Back, a graphics-heavy, Warhol-esque collection of mostly commercial objects.
Foley plays with the notion of unequal access to resources and human relationships through the lens of accessibility to these resources. When equal access is available to the entire society, social progress and collaboration can flourish. When small groups seize and restrict these resources and access for personal gain, society suffers.
Foley makes 2-dimensional works, artist’s books, and objects that exemplify the schism between classes. The show glorifies differences, shows similarities between two seemingly disparate factions and asks viewers to confront these divergences directly. Through Aug. 19.
Marc Straus offers a passport to Indonesia, presenting five artists from Yogyakarta, most of whom have never before exhibited work in the U.S. Yogyakarta is renowned as a center of classical Javanese fine art and culture. Painters and sculptors, the artists’ work is influenced by Javanese culture, but also European works and Western Pop culture.
Jumaldi Alfi’s blackboard paintings feature a scored paint surface and specificity of language. They’ve come to fruition over the course of a decade.
Yunizar’s paintings are drawn from the local vernacular but also transcend Javanese culture to speak to a universal audience.
Half Gallery/ 208 Forsyth St./Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment.
Recession Art at Culture Fix/ 9 Clinton St./ Tues.-Sun. 2 p.m. to 8 p.m./ 646.535-4278.
Marc Straus/ 299 Grand St./Summer Hours Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. and Mon. by appointment/ 212.510.7646.
TLD contributor Tobi Elkin is a writer, editor and interviewer. A former Lower East Side resident, she delights in the neighborhood’s eclectic and diverse pleasures. Visit her website at tobielkin.com.
