Martin Wittfooth
Currently on view at Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York, “The Lost Mitten Society” is a salon-style group show filled with work from emerging and well-known artists working across various disciplines. The exhibition opened on January 10 and includes a diverse sampling of work from artists we have featured in print over the years as well as ones we recently introduced on our blog.
Finok, an artist credited with spearheading Brazil’s graffiti movement, contributed brightly-colored paintings filled with quirky characters and textile-inspired pattern work. An emotive, realist portrait by Kris Lewis (whose work was featured in print in HF Vol. 20), Martin Wittfooth’s (HF Vol. 19) painting of mystical fauna, and Amandine Urruty’s surreal, pastiche-like graphite drawings are all a part of the show’s varied offerings. Christian Rex van Minnen’s grotesque, Renaissance-inspired portraits, Doubleparlour’s eerie sculptures of childlike characters, and Mike Giant’s bold, flash tattoo-style ink drawings are not to be missed, as well.
Saner’s solo show “Primitivo” opened on the same evening. The Mexican artist looked to the folk art of his native country to create paintings that take to task the artificial dichotomy between “primitive” and “civilized.” Saner questions why there is so much chaos in contemporary society despite our technological progress and seeks the answers in pre-Colombian Mexican traditions. “We talk about primitive man as this tough guy, living in an elementary way only focused on basic needs,” writes Saner in his show statement. “Modern man no longer has to hunt or provide in such a rudimentary way and yet more than ever we are faced with poverty and war. So are we really living in such a highly developed world?” Saner has been gaining traction in the contemporary art world recently with his murals and his successful year culminates with “Primitivo,” his first solo show at Jonathan LeVine Gallery.
Finok
Doubleparlor
Kris Lewis
Sam Wolfe Connelly
Mike Giant
Amandine Urruty
Christian Rex van Minnen
Faith47
Saner
Saner
Saner