Sarah Lamb @ Spanierman Gallery

   Sarah Lamb is one of the best still life painters of our times. Her paintings, executed in the classical tradition, are truly beautiful.  From a distance the paintings are perfectly realistic. When you get really close you can still see the brushstrokes, painterly, varied, yet creating a unified whole. Her pictures are still, yet unlike a photograph the human touch can be seen and felt in each square inch of the painting. This makes the paintings full of spirit, emotional, beautiful. I also enjoyed Sarah's landscapes, more loosely painted, yet equally emotional. Her technique is flawless and the images are sure to stay with you. Go see the show!

Iconomancy at New York Academy of Art

Will Cotton, Ron, 2009. Courtesy New York Academy of Art.

This week the New York Academy of Art exhibited work from some of its alumni, in a group show called 'Iconomancy'.  Artlog wrote an article about it, artlog.com/posts/239-iconomancy-the-magic-of-art and you should check it out to see more photos, and to read about the title's meaning, in the words of the exhibiting artists.  Some of my favorite pieces are Peter Mühlhäußer's sculpture, and Will Cotton's hilarious yet wonderfully executed portrait (seen above).  The school has an elegant gallery on the first floor, which it's free and open to the public whenever there are shows (check the school's website for when the gallery is open).  If you need the URL, look no further then the left hand side of this blog.  Enjoy!

The Opening of Julio Reyes' show at Arcadia Gallery

 

  Last night I went to Arcadia Gallery for the opening of Julio's Reyes solo show.  I've been interested in this artist since he won Best in Show award in the 2010 Art Renewal Center International Salon Competition.  He seemed friendly, down to earth, and genuinely passionate about his art.  The show includes both drawings and oil paintings, mostly figurative work.  Some of the paintings are on copper, and  executed loosely, whereas other, larger ones on canvas, are more carefully rendered.   His work is both calm and dreamy. Whether in lush fields or overlooking a distant cityscape, his figures are lost in thought and introspection.  The work carries a clear message that resonates with the artist community and with the public at large.  Overall a great show to see, I recommend it!

Julio Reyes talking with guests

10th Aniversary Show at the Neue Galerie, Manhattan

The Neue Galerie is a two story museum in Uptown Manhattan, dedicated to twentieth century German and Austrian art.  This is the place to go whenever you need some inspiration from artists like Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Right now, the museum is celebrating it's 10th anniversary with a rich and varied exhibition.  On display are a number of Picasso drawings, Matisse' bronze sculptures, sculptures by Brincusi, paintings and drawings by Seurat, Degas, Van Gogh, and more!  There are also some abstract art works by Klee, and Kandinsky, and an incredible show of medieval artifacts, arms and armor.  This exhibition has something for everyone, and it's free on Fri nights.  Also, the building itself, and the gift shop are worth checking out, both are elegant and unique.

Vantage Point 2011 at Forum Gallery

Bride with Cards, Steven Assael

Steven Assael's painting Bride with Cards, is now on display, in the Vantage Point 2011 group exhibition at Forum Gallery, in Manhattan. Steven is a figurative painter with many years of experience in both painting and teaching.  He has taught at the School of Visual Arts and New York Academy of Art.  He is also the reason why I went to see this show last week.  The gallery is located in an upscale neighborhood, on 5th Ave, close to Central Park, across the street from Versace and Louis Vuitton.  Maybe it's because of the location that the asking prices in the gallery are mind blowing...I'm not an art dealer, and don't have much experience with pricing art, but I was quite shocked to see some of the pieces in the gallery are close to or above a million dollars!  Here are some photos of other work in the show, see if you can guess which one is more than $1,600,000.