Focus on Photography: 7 Not-To-Be-Missed Solo Shows in New York
Galerie Magazine September 18, 2019
Paul Laster
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From Alex Pragerâ??s staged scenes from her cinematic ode to Los Angeles and Laura Letinskyâ??s psychological still lifes to George Byrneâ??s painterly pictures of urban streets and David Benjamin Sherryâ??s colorful vision of the American West, weâ??ve rounded up seven not-to-be-missed solo presentations by artists who continue to push the boundaries of the beloved medium.
4. George Byrne: Exit Vision Olsen Gruin Through October 6
Working on-site in Los Angeles, Miami, and Sydney, George Byrne documents the urban landscape by focusing on the colors, shadows, shapes, and textures that he discovers while roaming desolate streets. Returning to his L.A. studio, he digitally collages elements of this photographic content into large-scale prints that balance bits of nature with concrete forms. With a keen eye for color and form, Byrne constructs his pictures like an abstract painter, with stark geometric planes defining his striking compositions.
Target # 1 displays a big red dot on a field of black, blue, and yellow forms to suggest a Mondrian-like canvas. Pink Tile captures a barred window in a grid of pink tiles on a stucco wall to bring to mind a Peter Halley cell painting, while Peach Wall #2 presents a pink monochromatic ground geometrically dissected by shadows and architectural shapes. In Post Truth, however, itâ??s three Cyprus trees in the midst of their geometric surroundings that grab the eye and, in the process, highlight the metaphysical nature of all of the artistâ??s dynamic works.