This week Bushwick will be hit by a slew of exciting new exhibitions all across the neighborhood, clearly rejoicing in the coming of crawl-worthy weather. While entirely different from one another, there are many trends that you’ll see this week as you go from gallery to gallery as themes of portraiture, self-realization, grand myth, and confrontation grace center stage. From exhibitions that examine process and the act of repetition, to the exploration of grand myths between the virtual space of the internet and real life, to a repositioning the importance of self-portrait in our current selfie-taking culture, gallery-goers will be able to experience works that not only promote self-reflection but resonate on a much more universal level.
#1 This is Not a Selfie @ Bushwick Community Darkroom (SAT, 7-9PM)
While the title of this exhibition may speak for itself, Bushwick’s Community Darkroom’s new show investigates the role of self-portraiture since the proliferation of the “selfie” in contemporary culture. In a society that has fully embraced the instant gratification that comes from posting a “selfie with your bestie” across the interwebs, where does the self-portrait with its long and well-established legacy of reflection and contemplation go? Is there still a place for the revered practice of introspection, allegory and critique of the artist’s self as well as his or her environment when rarely does the selfie-taker pause to think about what he or she is doing?
#2 Repetition, Rhythm, & Pattern @ TSA New York (FRI, 7-10PM)
TSA is back with a show that pays special attention to one of an artists most useful practices: repetition. Van Gogh had his sunflowers, Hirst has his dots, and Koons has, well… In any case, the utilitarian practice of formal repetition is given its due with this group show curated by Lindsey Landfried and featuring work by Kim Beck, Megan Cotts, Corey Escoto, Brian Giniewski, Crystal Gregory, Kate McGraw, Anna Mikolay, Helen O’Leary, Alex Paik, and Lilly Zuckerman. True to their artists collective identity, TSA presents their artists with a distinct self-awareness, as the artists themselves not only acknowledge their patterns and habits, but revel in it.
