The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Opening Wednesday, October 9 at Equity Gallery, 6 pm to 8 pm. On view through November 2.
There are plenty of exhibitions nowadays that spotlight creations by queer artists of present and past, but this show at Equity Gallery organized by critics and curators Christopher Stout and Eric Sutphin narrows its focus even more to zero in on what they call “queer abstraction.” Deeming the exhibition a “visual essay,” it (and the six artists participating) aims to explore how the subgenre has been showcased both locally and abroad, and the power (or lack thereof) of abstract art that doesn’t have an overt political statement to it.
Pastel
Opening Friday, October 11 at Flag Art Foundation, 6 pm to 8 pm. On view through February 15.
This is technically an exhibition by Swiss artist Nicolas Party, but he certainly had some help in creating the soft and dreamy display that will be taking over two floors of Chelsea’s FLAG Art Foundation starting on Friday. The show gets its title for a reason: Party has dreamt up a colorfully immersive environment that traces the history of pastel-based art from the 18th century to present day, which includes works on display from lauded masters like Degas, Cassatt, and Rosalba Carriera, a pioneering Venetian artist who was the first to bind pastel powder into portable sticks. These historical examples will be displayed in conjunctions with large-scale, Rococo-inspired pastel wall murals created by Party.
The Role of a Flower
Opening Sunday, October 13 at OStudio, 4 pm to 8 pm. On view through October 27.
Though the chill of fall has finally started to settle in (though maybe we’ll get a few random 80 degree days here and there, who knows, the planet is burning), if you walk into OStudio on Sunday, you’ll find the Bushwick “community space for creatives” looks a lot like springtime. Their latest exhibition, The Role of a Flower, pays tribute to the humble bloom through photography, sculpture, embroidery, and a large display of fresh, foraged flowers that remain unchanging throughout the show’s two-week duration, tangibly showing the effect of the passing of time on nature that’s been uprooted. Hey, it’s more interesting and pleasant than staring at that avocado on your counter that got ripe too fast. There will also be a series of events accompanying the show, from dinners to dyeing workshops.