Every July, most New York contemporary galleries present “group exhibitions” – a dizzying variety of intelligent curation, unexpected juxtapositions, and exciting introductions to new artists. The galleries also switch to “summer hours” (closed on weekends), so available viewing time can be limited. I’ve seen as many as I can to find my 2 favorite exhibitions, which together present over 60 artists, smart themes, and plenty of surprises: “Mother Lode: Material and Memory” is on view at James Cohan Gallery at two locations in Tribeca, and “Patterns“ is on view at Luhring Augustine Gallery across both their Tribeca and Chelsea locations. Here is why these two double-venue group exhibitions are unmissable, with 3 artists (of the many amazing works) from each:
“Mother Lode: Material and Memory” at James Cohan Gallery
Installation view, Mother Lode: Material and Memory, organized by Abigail Ross Goodman, Molly Epstein, and Ellen Langan, James Cohan, 48 and 52 Walker St, New York, NY, June 21 – July 26, 2024. Courtesy James Cohan, New York. \\\ Photo by Phoebe d’Heurle.
“Mother Lode: Material and Memory” is organized by Abigail Ross Goodman, Molly Epstein, and Ellen Langan. The exhibition, spread across two neighboring addresses in Tribeca, presents over 40 artists that explore the impact of memory, both personal and collective, through a love of material.
Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Field Afire, 2024. © Tuan Andrew Nguyen 2024. Courtesy the artist and James Cohan, New York. \\\ Photo: Dan Bradica
One of my favorite works is Tuan Andrew Nguyen’s “Field Afire, 2024” – a jewelry-like 7-foot mobile that is made from bomb metal, artillery shells, and bells. Those materials were recovered from Quang Tri in Vietnam, one of the most heavily bombed areas in the world, where current residents still encounter these physical remnants and reminders of trauma. Nguyen has brilliantly transformed the emotional and literal weight of that material into a balanced, beautiful form that gently moves with the slightest air current. In addition, the work contains an element that functions as a bell that chimes at a specific frequency of 432 HZ – a wavelength believed to harmonize with the “natural frequency of the universe” to produce a calming effect.
Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Field Afire, 2024. (detail) © Tuan Andrew Nguyen 2024. Courtesy the artist and James Cohan, New York. \\\ Photo: Dan Bradica
Clementine Keith-Roach, all sides endlessness earth sky as one no sound no stir, 2023. © Clementine Keith-Roach. Courtesy the artist and P·P·O·W, New York. \\\ Photo: Damien Griffiths
Downstairs, Clementine Keith-Roach’s sculpture “all sides endlessness earth sky as one no sound no stir, 2023” may bring up images of a potter in the act of throwing wet clay on a wheel – with hands so coated with mud that skin and clay are indistinguishable. But this is not a new vessel – Clementine’s work begins with an antique terracotta urn to which she adds plaster casts of her own hands, perfectly painted to match the patina of the old vessel. It’s a literal merging of past and present that invites an illusion of movement as you circle the object.
Clementine Keith-Roach, all sides endlessness earth sky as one no sound no stir, 2023 (detail). © Clementine Keith-Roach. Courtesy the artist and P·P·O·W, New York. \\\ Photo: Damien Griffiths
Clementine Keith-Roach, all sides endlessness earth sky as one no sound no stir, 2023 (detail). © Clementine Keith-Roach. Courtesy the artist and P·P·O·W, New York. \\\ Photo: Damien Griffiths
Yu-Wen We, Acculturation III, 2022-2024. © Yu-Wen Wu 2024. Photo: Courtesy the artist and Praise Shadows Gallery
“Acculturation III, 2022-2024,” by Yu-Wen Wu is also worth a closer inspection, consisting of 143 gilded tea leaves that have been pinned floor-to-ceiling on a gallery wall. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Wu’s experience as an immigrant is central to her work. Here, tea leaves and plants from New England are partially covered in gold – a fusion of culture and memory. The gilding here is a reference to the gold rush and promise of the “American Dream.”
Yu-Wen We, Acculturation III, 2022-2024 (detail). © Yu-Wen Wu 2024. Courtesy the artist and Praise Shadows Gallery. \\\ Photo: David Behringer
“Patterns” at Luhring Augustine Gallery
Luhring Augustine Gallery presents “Patterns,” another knock-out, two-venue exhibition that presents over 20 artists that often defy and expand expectations of “pattern” in contemporary art. In total, it’s the most like visual music – hosting multiple rhythms in harmony.
Installation view Patterns, Luhring Augustine Chelsea, New York (June 20 – August 2, 2024). Courtesy of Luhring Augustine, New York. \\\ Photo: Farzad Owrang
At the Chelsea location, Frank Stella’s breathtaking 1968 work “Hiraqla Variation II” anchors the first room. The 20-foot-long painting’s bold overlapping stripes draw you closer while the thin pencil lines between each color (get close), emit a delicate whisper of precision.
Frank Stella, Hiraqla Variation II, 1968. © 2024 Frank Stella / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. \\\ Photo: Jason Wyche. Private Collection
Emily Kraus, Agon, 2024. © Emily Kraus; Courtesy of the artist, The Sunday Painter, London, and Luhring Augustine, New York. \\\ Photo: Ollie Hammick
Nearby, Emily Kraus’s “Agon, 2024” spans nearly 10 feet wide with a rhythmic echo of drips, layers, and dots. Created with a self-made apparatus of rollers, Emily composes the work by moving canvas in through the rollers as she works, lifting and reapplying her marks at regular intervals. (check out the artist’s Instagram for some video and images of the apparatus). Beyond the ingenuity of her method, the placement, direction, and layering are a brilliant play between chance and control.
Emily Kraus, Agon, 2024 (detail). © Emily Kraus; Courtesy of the artist, The Sunday Painter, London, and Luhring Augustine, New York.\\\ Photo: Ollie Hammick
Ryan Mrozowski, Untitled (Dot), 2024. © Ryan Mrozowski; Courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York and i8 Gallery, Reykjavik. \\\ Photo: Farzad Owrang
Finally, Ryan Mrozowski’s “Untitled (Dot), 2024” is a surprising play of material and pattern that is not what it seems. From a distance, the work appears to be made from folded black fabric with white polka dots. But up close, the work reveals itself as black-stained plywood, meticulously inlaid with hundreds of white plastic circles (the type found in guitar fretboards) that is sanded flat. It’s a work that dances between two and three dimensions that questions your own perception.
Ryan Mrozowski, Untitled (Dot), 2024 (detail). © Ryan Mrozowski; Courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York and i8 Gallery, Reykjavik. \\\ Photo: by author
Installation view Patterns, Luhring Augustine Tribeca, New York (June 20 – August 2, 2024). Courtesy of Luhring Augustine, New York. \\\ Photo: Farzad Owrang
And that’s just the beginning. Visit both of the exhibitions before they close (keeping your eyes out for other great group exhibitions along the way), or explore additional artists in the exhibition links below anytime.
“Mother Lode: Material and Memory” at James Cohan Gallery (48 and 52 Walker St), through July 26, 2024.
“Patterns” at Luhring Augustine Gallery (531 W 24th St in Chelsea, and 17 White Street in Tribeca), through August 2, 2024.
Note: Galleries are open Monday-Friday during the summer. Check websites for hours.
