Out and About: Art I've Seen Lately

Chris Ofili: Night and Day at the New Museum, New York

I've been trying to fend off the "cabin" fever that sets in for me during the cold winter months with trying to get out and see some art.  When I am hunkered down in the studio as much as I have been lately, I really have to force myself to get out periodically.  I really loved Chris Ofili's show currently up at the New Museum.

The first major, solo, museum exhibition of the British born painter fills three floors.  Pictures really can't do the paintings or the installation justice, the fourth and third floors are totally transformed with a wall painting and flat color/carpeting as you can see from the top two images below.  The color palettes, richly layered surfaces, disparate imagery and inspiration make the show a kind of psychedelic journey that felt really refreshing. I especially loved a huge wall of gorgeously saturated watercolor portraits - the last image is one of the seventy-four (74!) from that wall.  The show closes February 1st.

“Chris Ofili: Night and Day,” 2014. Exhibition view - 3rd Floor: New Museum. All artworks © Chris Ofili. Courtesy David Zwirner, New York/London. Photo: Maris Hutchinson/EPW

“Chris Ofili: Night and Day,” 2014. Exhibition view - Fourth Floor: New Museum. All artworks © Chris Ofili. Courtesy David Zwirner, New York/London.

“Chris Ofili: Night and Day,” 2014. Exhibition view - 2nd Floor: New Museum. All artworks © Chris Ofili. Courtesy David Zwirner, New York/London. Photo: Maris Hutchinson/EPW

Chris Ofili, Afronirvana, 2002. Oil, acrylic, polyester resin, aluminum foil, glitter, map pins, and elephant dung on canvas, 108 × 144 in. Courtesy the artist, David Zwirner, New York/London, and Victoria Miro, London