Follow Friday: Explore Works from Man Ray, Photos of Louis Armstrong, and Russia’s Matisse
From classic rock photography to Russian expressionism to Man Ray’s Dadaist explorations of the female figure, these galleries are a reminder of the diversity, both thematic and geographic, of the contemporary art world.
Based in Englewood, New Jersey, this gallery specializes in photography, with a particular emphasis on prints made from cyanotypes and other processes reliant on the artist’s technical craft. Gallery 270’s program includes work from a variety of photographers who made careers shooting musicians: William Gottlieb produced iconic puffy-cheeked photos of Louis Armstrong, Terry O’Neill captured David Bowie and the Rolling Stones, and Baron Wolman caught Jimi Hendrix in his prime. In addition to the musical greats, the gallery’s works are diverse in subject matter. On view starting July 29th is a 10-year retrospective of Brian Kosoff, known for his ethereal and minimalistic still lifes and landscapes.
This Washington, D.C.-based gallery features a variety of emerging artists and limits itself to no particular medium, allowing for a diverse roster, including artists from Europe, North America, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Artist’s Proof also showcases D.C.-bred artists, like Claire McArdle, whose European modern master-inspired sculptures explore the potential of depicting human forms and have a timeless quality to them, and sculptor Craig Shaffer, who explores mathematics and geometry in his work. On view until August 4th is “Russia in Color,” which showcases Russian painter Victor Razgulin, known as “Russia’s Matisse.”
With a strong emphasis on Soviet-era photography, this gallery often combines lesser-known Russian photographers with legendary names. A recent noteworthy exhibition, “About a Woman,” featured a powerhouse series of artists including Man Ray, Alexander Rodchenko, Marcia Resnick, and Steve Wilson, and photos of 27 different women, exploring the female subject in photography.
Applying a multimedia approach to planning exhibitions, this London venture is less than a year old and focuses on the relationship between artists’ studio practice and curated shows. Chandelier emphasizes the importance of the artist’s input in the curatorial process. Rather than occurring in a traditional white cube space, exhibitions are presented in the studio of artist Karen Knorr, who has lectured and exhibited at the Tate Britain, Centre Pompidou, and Art Institute of Chicago. On view right now is “Foreplay,” an exhibition by Tom Owen. Owen’s work builds on the traditions of Abstract Expressionism and Neo-Dada mixed-media works, and though he has worked with figurative themes in the past, the pieces included in this exhibition are abstract.
Located in Miami, the contemporary Gallery Diet is currently at the tail-end of a three-month-long takeover by a variety of artists, among them Nancy Goldring, Sam McKinniss, and Nicole Wittenberg. During this time, the gallery has been renamed Night Tide and “is being overrun by pirates in an affectionately hostile take-over,” which includes exhibiting works, staging events, and creating texts. The works included range from semi-abstract sculptures to conceptual installations to large brightly colored abstract canvasses.
