Painting detail, oil on canvas, Dana Schutz “Missing Pictures”

Friday evening around 7:00, I found myself zig zagging from 18th Street to West 24th Street, in order to attend the opening for Dana Schutz at Zach Feuer Gallery. Expecting quite a crowd, I was not disappointed when turning onto 26th and seeing a dark swarm of people fluttering around the entrance to the gallery. As I got closer I scanned the group for familiar faces, and was greeted by Jeff Caramagna, a fellow artist, facebook friend, and cousin of my bestie Becca. We chatted briefly and then he moved to the next locale and I entered into the hive. The space was alive with electricity, dark clad attendees, and color-blocked walls. I slithered delicately as can be expected in a tight space, in between those who were looking at the paintings, and looking at eachother.

Missing Pictures”, Schutzs’ fourth solo exhibition at the gallery, has a comfortable, recognizable familiarity for all who are cognizant of her mark making process. The work reveals an evolution of space control as well as a barrage of abstract shapes. Like displaced puzzle pieces, the elements of abstraction when assembled or squinted at, lend themselves to the possibility of a narrative and reveal components of human form. Yet the people have been stretched, coerced and reassembled in a manner which is both childlike and accomplished.

Working my way to the smaller backroom, I passed artist Chuck Close, also deftly navigating through the myriad of artlovers and presumably a smattering of rock star collectors. Once getting there I noticed that Dana herself was in attendance, as was artist Maureen Cavanaugh and friend Nicole Lanctot of Artforum, who was nice enough to introduce me to Dana’s parents.

From the Zach Feuer website:

In Schutz’s new work, preliminary information, such as schematic stains and thumbnail sketches, remain visible and are incorporated into the finished paintings. Linear marks deface the picture. Features peel off their subjects. Spaces dissolve as washes misalign with patterned fields. As Schutz shows us around the sunny and anxious territory of her most recent fiction, the paintings unmake themselves in front of us.

I also attended Jason Fox & Huma Bhadha’s “Atlas Mountains” at Andrea Rosen. Riding the honey sweet “sugar high” from the previous exhibit, a silly grin on my face, I once again observed those who were also milling around. I said a quick hello to New York Magazine critic Jerry Saltz and made sure to snap a few photos.

All in all, a great night!

“Missing Pictures” will be on view at Zach Feuer until April 25th
“Atlas Mountains” in Gallery 2, along with the artwork of Michael Raedecker in the main space, is on view at Andrea Rosen until April 18th (which I will confirm and be sure to update if the information is different. Its not clear on their website).

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