Art scene in SoHo – isolation, climate change, healing

Talking about “art” and “SoHo” in one sentence to New Yorkers is always tricky.

Most New Yorker artists who lived in the city since 70s or 80s would purse their lips. If you are lucky to not get Miranda-Priestlied by them, you will hear stories about how artists who lived in those industrial lofts in flat iron buildings got priced out to lawyers, Wall Street analysts and management consultants.

And then COVID-19 happened. Lower Manhattan experienced three distinct phases of SoHo within six months. Right before the lockdown, the streets of SoHo were flooded by high-end boutiques, designer home improvement stores, with European tourists and Middle Eastern shoppers crowding in them. During the #BLM days, all these stores were broken into and looted. Hence, all the artistically curated windows, smashed or untouched, were boarded up by dull wooden planks. The local artists found the perfect canvas to peacefully express their voice about human suffering. They drew and painted on these wooden planks. These artworks were moved to selected galleries around the city when it re-opened.

After these three phases I walked into some of the art galleries in SoHo on a sunny Saturday morning without knowing what to expect!

Installation view, Jordan Kasey, “The Storm,” February 25 – March 27, 2021. Courtesy of the Artist and Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York.

Hidden behind an ongoing construction site, Nicelle Beauchene Gallery at 7 Franklin Place has a sense of quintessential, lower Manhattan adventure to it. The current exhibit is named “The storm” by artist Jordan Kasey. The large scale paintings had colossal figures with snapshot of surreal moments.

Jordan Kasey, “Losing Sleep,” 2021, Oil on canvas, 65 1/2 x 79 inches. Courtesy of the Artist and Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York.

According to the press release, “Isolation—a feeling often explored by the artist—brims throughout The Storm perhaps more so than ever before.” This overarching emotion of isolation is so strongly expressed through vibrant layers of colors and textures that other entities, such as, a ghostly shadow, a pair of helping hands, two figures embracing, and, even a car’s bright headlights, fade in the background.

Within couple of meters of Franklin Place, Jane Lombard Gallery at 58 White Street had a NYPD car parked in front of it. I walked around it and suspiciously entered the current exhibit, “Impressions” by new media artist Kristin Mciver. If Jordan Kasey’s work was about embracing our emotions and observing our reaction to the COVID-19 isolation, Kristin Mciver’s video installations created a perfect transition for me into energy, vibrations and water.

Kristin Mciver, “44.641391; -67.375624,” 2020. Photographed by Arturo Sanchez. Courtesy of Jane Lombard Gallery.

This is one of those immersive installations. No matter how carefully curated words I chose to describe it, you won’t be able to experience it without visiting in person. The underlying message of this video installation connected to the rising sea levels in Eastern Seaboard as one of the scariest effect of climate change will crawl into your experience once you see the installations as a whole. The poems and word arts will help to situate the mind.

A short walk along Broadway, couple of blocks up North, got me to my next destination – PPOW gallery. Located on 392 Broadway, the gallery is currently showing “Seven ancestral stomachs” by Guadalupe Maravilla, who managed to combine sculptures, paintings and performative acts in this installation.

Installation view of Guadalupe Maravilla’s “Seven Ancestral Stomachs,” February 26 – March 27, 2021, courtesy of the artist and P·P·O·W, New York.

The artist’s motivation comes from dealing with the experience of trauma manifested in human body. Sometime the trauma is connected to the experience of undocumented immigrants. Sometime it is rather personal – experience of dealing with colon cancer with the self and within family members. Built with materials collected from Central America, the large, vertical, free-standing sculptures, named “healing machines” by the artist, manifest the healing and renewal of human body.

Guadalupe Maravilla, Disease Thrower #8 (detail), 2019, mixed media sculpture, 144 x 56 x 63 inches, courtesy of the artist and P·P·O·W, New York.

The moral of the story is – no matter which state of mind I’m in, Empire or otherwise, some of these galleries in lower Manhattan never fail to astonish me.

 

Featured galleries in this article:

Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, 7 Franklin Place, New York, NY 10013; Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11 AM – 6 PM

Jane Lombard Gallery, 58 White Street, New York, NY 10013; Gallery hours: Tuesday – Friday, 10 AM – 6 PM, and, Saturday, 11 AM – 6 PM

PPOW Gallery, 392 Broadway, New York, NY 10013; Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 AM – 6 PM

Heroes

Heroes are all around us. At the frontline and behind the scenes.

My nurse friend’s healthcare worker mother from the Bronx who continued to take care of the patients during the pandemic, my COVID-19 survivor colleague, a virologist himself, who now dedicates his time in the lab to find a vaccine – are among hundreds of thousands of heroes here, in New York City.

Then there are other heroes from around the country: an aging and retired farmer from North East Kansas sent one of his five N95 masks left over from his farming days to save a nurse or a doctor when New York became the epicenter of COVID-19 infection and we didn’t have enough N95 masks to protect the healthcare workers taking care of the infected patients.

Breath, 2020, Digital C-Print on Kodak Endura Matte Paper, Edition of 3 + 1 AP, 14” x 11”, courtesy of Ronald Vill / Thomas Nickles Project

As I continued my solitary exploration of the reopened art galleries in lower Manhattan, I found another hero from behind the scenes – an artist named Ronald Vill.

Thomas Nickles Project at 47 Orchard St is exhibiting 28 limited edition prints carefully curated from 71 digital drawings created by Ronald Vill, who shares his intimate visual diary of enforced confinement from Havana, Cuba. The gallery is offering high-resolution downloads of all the images from this show for free or a pay-what-you-wish amount, with all proceeds going to the Global Giving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund!

Voice, 2020, Digital C-Print on Kodak Endura Matte Paper, Edition of 3 + 1 AP, 11” x 14”, courtesy of Ronald Vill / Thomas Nickles Project

Drawing inspirations from Sakura blossoms in Japanese culture, that represent renewal and optimism during the onset of Spring, the series of illustrations intertwining scenes of human lives with the flower, in both macroscopic and microscopic views, tell the story to combat the confinement and the fear of death. Ronald, in his illustrated diary, casts himself as El Zorro (the fox) and ironically represents the virus with Sakura flower that invades his life in unexpected ways.

Shout of Sakura, 2020, Digital C-Print on Kodak Endura Matte Paper Edition of 3 AP, 12” x 12”, courtesy of Ronald Vill / Thomas Nickles Project

The online exhibit on the gallery website includes a documentary film on the motivation and the artistic process of Ronald. Towards the last scene of the film, the audience face the question – how can an artist help to fight this pandemic? Thomas Nickles Project and Ronald’s answer to that question is to spread art like the virus but in a healing way, with all the proceeds going to the Global Giving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund, and, to run this exhibition online until a vaccine is found!

Without Cure, 2020, Digital C-Print on Kodak Endura Matte Paper Edition of 3 + 1 AP, 11” x 14”, courtesy of Ronald Vill / Thomas Nickles Project

A capitalist reader perhaps would immediately question about what dollar amount from this noble project worth how many human lives. But, given the current social and political situation in this country, even those readers cannot shut their eyes from how only caring about money without any empathy possesses the threat to destroy the world’s largest economy! Thanks to Thomas Nickles Project and Ronald Vill to join hands with millions of empathic heroes in a city that has been recently designated as an anarchist jurisdiction!

Featured gallery is this post:

El Zorro Y La Flor installation; Photograph courtesy Thomas Nickles Project and Ronald Vill

Thomas Nickles Project, 47 Orchard St, NY NY 10002, Gallery Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 11 AM – 6 PM.

How much time we have got

Hard stops force us to re-evaluate our thoughts. An immediate danger to our survival like COVID-19 pandemic creates a harder stop to our day-to-day lives than a slow destroyer like climate change. It makes us think – what have we done wrong? And, more importantly – what can we do differently from now on?

DANIEL RICH, Midtown, NYC, 2020, Acrylic on dibond, 78 3/4 x 55 inches, Courtesy of the artist and Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY

That was the state of my mind when I walked into the Miles McEnery Gallery in Chelsea. While the 21st St gallery showed architectural paintings of Daniel Rich, the newly expanded 22nd St space exhibited the natural world in landscapes and abstraction from a group of contemporary artists. Architecture invariably becomes our natural world living in Manhattan – from older Gothic and Art Deco to newly erected modern and post-modern buildings. But, we never miss a chance to take that ferry ride to the Far Rockaway beach, or, that Metro North ride upstate for a lazy weekend of hiking on the Mount Beacon.

ISCA GREENFIELD-SANDERS, Island, 2020, Mixed media oil on canvas, 63 x 63 inches, Courtesy of the artist and Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY

The contrasting experiences of these two exhibits reminded me the artistic and design work of the “city gardeners” who try to incorporate plants, flowers, waterfalls as part of the large buildings, inside or out, to attract and nest squirrels, birds, butterflies and bees! Unlike COVID-19, climate change may not kill us in next 14 days, but it may do so in next 14 years if we fail to re-evaluate our actions! Exhibits like “Back to the future” and “Do you think it needs a cloud?” serve as constant reminders for us!

SUJITH S.N., Untitled 3, 2018, Watercolor on paper, 71h x 42w in, Courtesy of Aicon Contemporary

Natural disasters often remind us that no matter how much we divide ourselves by geographical, social, political and economic boundaries, we all share one planet. When I entered Aicon Contemporary, a gallery on the Great Jones and Bowery, showcasing works of South Asian artists, I was immediately drawn to Sujith S.N.’s watercolor piece depicting human experience on isolation in the midst of a storm! It brought back my recent memories of hurricane Isaias that uprooted a 5-storeys tall tree in our courtyard shaking the surrounding apartment buildings.

NAJMUN NAHAR KEYA, Kintsugi Dhaka (23), 2020, Photograph on archival paper, gold leaf, archival glue, 30h x 22w in, Courtesy of Aicon Contemporary

After the hurricane passed through New York, we started to evaluate our loss and measured what we could restore. Different cultures across the world and over centuries came up with unique restoration techniques. Najmun Nahar Keya drew motivation from Kintsugi technique of Japan. In the current exhibit, she artistically restored broken parts of architectural ruins from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Gluing gold leaves on black and white photographs of these ruins on archival paper, she created a collage of multi-layered meanings. The group show named “The wheels of time” is the first exhibition after the gallery reopened from COVID-19 lockdown.

RAY KUNIMOTO, Mon, Sound Installation, variable size, Courtesy of the artist

With the thoughts on changed course of actions to tackle climate change, I was walking on Wooster St in SoHo. Suddenly I heard an unusual sound over the usual hustle and bustle. As I stopped and then entered NowHere NYC, I knew I was in for a big treat! Sound artist, Ray Kunimoto installed state-of-the-art sound systems in the gallery space to design a highly immersive and peaceful acoustic experience in his first solo show in Manhattan. Drawing motivations from Zen Buddhism, the exhibit features installations reverberating the sound of water and our own footsteps.

When I had the privilege to speak with Ray in person (maintaining safe, social distancing and wearing masks), I decided to inquire about his experience with this sound installation in a location with majority of visual art exhibits.

“I’m not afraid to experiment with new things. Initially, I conceptualized this acoustic experience to be isolated from the sound of the passing cars and the constructions in this area. But, I decided to keep the doors of the gallery open as the purpose of this exhibit is not to oppose what is already there” – Ray replied.

RAY KUNIMOTO, Rei, Sound Installation, variable size, Courtesy of the artist

Often we are surrounded by so many types of noises, it is rather difficult to focus our mind to think about critical problems like COVID-19 or climate change! We try to block this noise with more noise. But that strategy does not work in the long run. Ray Kunimoto’s exhibit is reminding us to accept the noise as an observer instead of opposing and reacting to it.

On my way back, I looked up at the giant Metronome clock at Union Square. Instead of showing the current time, it showed a countdown on how much time we have left before the climate of Earth reaches a tipping point given our current carbon emission. Beyond that point, extreme heat waves, level five hurricanes, scarcity of clean air or water will become part of our daily life. We have only 7 years!

Featured galleries in this article

Miles McEnery Gallery, 520 West 21st Street and 525 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011, Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Aicon Contemporary, 35 Great Jones Street New York, NY 10012, Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

NowHere NYC, 40 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10013, Gallery Hours:: Wednesday through Sunday, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Healing Through Art

As New York City reopens, Dhru Deb, a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, ventures out to the art galleries. He shares his experience below in a personal post in hopes to inform and encourage you to attend the new exhibitions in the City.

Fig. 1 “I want to feel alive again” at Lyles & King gallery on 21 Catherine St., NY, NY; Courtesy of the Artist and Lyles & King, New York. Photo credit: Charles Benton

 

As the COVID-19 lock-down is slowly and carefully easing up in several areas of our lives, it becomes important to acknowledge and express the trauma and anxiety we have been through. In New York City, some of the reopened art galleries are currently featuring works of visual and auditory forms expressing personal narratives. Even if you aren’t a pro art enthusiast, you may identify with these visual narratives as ultimately it comes down to human experiences of uncertainty. Acknowledging it – is the first step.

Fig. 2 “Graphica” at Foxy Production on 2 E Broadway, NY, NY; Courtesy Foxy Production, New York. Photography: Charles Benton

Perspective. I think that one word summarizes it all.

Walking from my apartment in East Village to the art galleries in Lower East Side and Chinatown, I noticed how the city I knew so well changed in the past few months. The empty retail spaces, the unopened restaurants and the off-Broadway theaters are pointing to that anxious question – “what’s next?” So, I was curious to see how the reopened art galleries are adapting to this situation. To find out their stories.

My first destination was Foxy Production’s Graphica. See the photographs of the show here. The title “Graphica” was inspired by the painter Charles Alphonse du Fresnoy’s philosophical and instructional Latin poem “De Arte Graphica” (1668). Inside the second-floor loft space on East Broadway, Foxy Production’s founders and directors, Michael Gillespie and John Thomson united works of four contemporary artists: Michael Bell-Smith, JODI, Cindy Ji Hye Kim and Glendalys Medina.

Fig. 3 Cindy Ji Hye Kim, Thirty Frames Per Second, 2016, ink on paper, 30 drawings, 6 x 3 in. each; Courtesy Foxy Production, New York. Photography: Charles Benton

As our recent experiences on the march for racial justice and equality in New York City had varied response, Cindy Ji Hye Kim’s black and white piece emphasizing gaze, focal point, field of vision, power and contrast immediately stood out to me. “The artist’s “Thirty Frames Per Second” (2016) is an animation flip book displayed as separate pages across one wall of the gallery. Recalling Hitchcock’s use of flowing dissolves that are read as one shot, the series of ink drawings has a circulating eye than can induce senses of both anxiety and freedom.”

The video documentation of the show is here. made by Charles Benton.

Fig. 4 “I want to feel alive again” at Lyles & King gallery on 21 Catherine St., NY, NY; Courtesy of the Artist and Lyles & King, New York. Photo credit: Charles Benton

My second destination was Lyles & King’s newly opened location on Catherine St. within only couple of buildings of Foxy Production. The show titled “I want to feel alive again” concerns the body, empathy, and human connection, using skin as the central motif.

Fig. 5 Jessie Makinson,  Skin Spy, 2020, Oil and pigment on canvas, 82 5/8 x 78 3/4 inches, 210 x 200 cm, Courtesy of the Artist and Lyles & King, New York. Photo credit: Charles Benton

“With the world grown uncertain, it makes sense to refocus on figuration, to take refuge in the facticity of our bodies (when pricked, we bleed: fact), but in the current situation it is a roulette wheel: our bodies could betray us and fail at any time.” – this sentence in the press release directly connected to the anxiety I felt as a cancer researcher during the COVID-19 lockdown! The carefully curated artworks for this show aligned with this message.

In the inaugural show, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Owner and Director, Issac Lyles. The outdoor backyard space, as Isaac will emphasize, is a must-see if you are visiting the gallery. The current show will identify with our cravings for skin-to-skin contact that’s impossible as we focus on safe, social distancing.

Fig. 6 “Phantom Gates and Falling Homes” at Chapter NY on 249 E Houston St., NY, NY, (in the middle) Cheyenne Julien, Mixed Company, 2020, Charcoal on newsprint, 18 × 24 inches (45.72 × 60.96 cm), 21 × 27 × 1 ½ inches (53.34 × 68.58 × 3.81 cm) (framed), Courtesy of the artist and Chapter NY, New York. Photo by Charles Benton

For my third destination, I walked along the Essex St. up until the Houston St. where Chapter NY found a cute and sunny location. The show titled “Phantom Gates and Falling Homes” by artist Cheyenne Julien presents a multifaceted view of the city life.

Fig. 7 Cheyenne Julien, Trini Slangs, 2020, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 38 × 34 inches (96.52 × 86.36 cm), Courtesy of the artist and Chapter NY, New York. Photo by Charles Benton

Perhaps the most direct link to the recent #BLM protest days from a population already angered, anxious and frustrated from COVID-19 lockdown is depicted in the artworks. You will realize these emotions on many levels as you stand in front the painting showing a hand holding a knife is stabbing the water bottles rolling out of a vandalized vending machine! Similarly, you will observe the subject in Trini Slangs, “flaunts her t-shirt which has been knotted to accentuate her tapered waist and curving hips. She holds her pose with confidence and ease.”

For viewing, in all these venues, I almost had the whole gallery to myself. Perhaps a rainy weekday afternoon added to the reasons along with the dedicated gallery visitors struggling to keep up with planning on online appointments and a fear of being in closed spaces. However, the gallery staffs were periodically cleaning the surfaces touched by the visitors and bottles of hand sanitizers were placed at the entrance.

Fig. 8 (on the right) Cheyenne Julien, White Noise, 2020, Oil on canvas, 52 × 60 inches (132.08 × 152.40 cm), Courtesy of the artist and Chapter NY, New York. Photo by Charles Benton

For a scientist-artist and a “New Yorker at heart” like myself, New York City still remains “the city of final destination” as you will read in E.B. White’s essay. While Jerry Seinfeld’s recent opinion piece on New York Times comforts me that New York will NEVER be over, experiencing the re-opening of art galleries that have been the beating heart of the social and cultural scene of this city, reassures that very notion. Thanks to Foxy Production, Lyles & King, and Chapter NY, I get to live this city life once again through the perspective of others!

 

Featured shows and galleries in this article:

Cindy Ji Hye Kim, Glendalys Medina, Jodi, Michael Bell-Smith “Graphica” at Foxy Production < https://www.foxyproduction.com/ > 2 E Broadway, 200, Wed – Sun, 11-6

“I Want To Feel Alive Again” at Lyles & King < http://www.lylesandking.com/ > 21 Catherine street, Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11-6; Sunday 12-6

Cheyenne Julien at Chapter NY < http://chapter-ny.com/ > 249 E Houston street, Gallery hours: Wed – Sun, 11-6

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