013. Tyler Mitchell, Laura Owens, & More In Chelsea
After a failed visit to the Affordable Art Fair.
Writing to you mid-stomach flu, in bed, having reached my threshold of television watched and work emails I can professionally handle at this time.
On Friday (a mere five days ago, B.S.F. - Before Stomach Flu), I met up with a friend for ramen (Ramen Ishida on 8th, loved, can’t wait to eat there again when I am eating again) and a visit to a so-called art fair I won’t detail because I promised my Substack would be positive vibes only.
We had a matcha and regrouped—my guilty pleasure is the draft latte at Cha Cha Matcha which goes against all of my beliefs re: synthetic milks, added sweeteners, and supporting Trump-bro business ventures.
I dug through the SeeSaw app and cobbled together an itinerary of palette-cleansing shows for us to see in the neighborhood. And it was GOOD! I hear the weather will be nice this weekend, so maybe check these out?
Laura Owens at Matthew Marks (522 & 526 W 22nd Street) - I loved Laura Owens’ exhibition at The Whitney in 2017 so much I went twice. Her playful spirit, enormous output, and interactive elements made the show feel like something I could escape into—one of those magical, rare experiences when the museum makes you feel like a child again. Recently, I was talking to a friend about mothers as artists—her grandmother became an artist later in life, and I was remembering the character of the mother in Didi, which you must watch). Mothers, I think, make such wonderful artists because they solve problems all the time, they live in multiple ages simultaneously, they are exposed to all kinds of weird children’s media, and they are physically tough, exposed to the bodily realities of life and making life. Laura Owens’ art has always struck me as the art of a mother, and I mean that in the best sense. It is generous, surprising, and humorous. I didn’t take any photos and I won’t give too much away, but watch the video in the back room and be sure to play with the desk at the front!
Tyler Mitchell at Gagosian (541 W 24th Street) - American Vogue famously co-signed Tyler Mitchell at age 23 when he shot Beyoncé for their September issue cover. He is a rarity: a wunderkind who actually seems grounded and continues to grow as an artist, a photographer who successfully weaves between commercial fashion work and creating his art. I went into this show slightly skeptical, but I was impressed by Mitchell’s choices, like printing photos on mirrors and silks gently draped over wooden frames, done with such consideration and precision. Even two framed photos, when pressed together on the wall, become so much more interesting in their difference and proximity.
Merlin James at Sikkema Malloy Jenkins (530 W 22nd Street) - Including pieces from the last four decades of the Welsh artist’s career, this retrospective was a pleasant surprise (not on my list, but I usually pop into Sikkema when I’m in Chelsea). My favorite pieces were the dreamy, muted landscapes and the strange, sweet paintings in the front gallery. A quietly powerful show.
Sung Hwa Kim at Harper’s (512 W 22nd Street) - I’m a sucker for Kim’s paintings! I just love to look at them. There is something delightful in their formula—where every difference feels meaningful and pronounced. These ones are so beautifully colored.
Sarah Charlesworth at Paula Cooper Gallery (521 W 21st Street) - I first saw Charlesworth’s work hanging in a stairwell in the gallery’s location across the street. It caught my eye and I asked the person behind the front desk who made the painting there. They seemed annoyed but told me it was by Sarah Charlesworth, and that it was actually a photograph. To my credit, it’s hard to tell WHAT you’re looking at in Charlesworth’s work. Her panels, whether glossy lacquered or matte finished, are concerned with trickery.
Go see some art unless you have the stomach bug that is ripping through the city, in which case - drink lots of fluids and rest up :) xx