Issue No. 28 – Control

What is the nature of control? The desire for it—and to be free of it—are essential parts of both life and art.

Exhibition Review: Fugues | Helena Anrather

Exhibition Review: Fugues | Helena Anrather

Courtesy of the Artist and Helena Anrather, New York © Inna Svyatsky

Written by Max Wiener

Copy Edited by Robyn Hager

Photo Edited by Athena Abdien

Ketuna Alexi-Meskhishvilli’s Fugues, showcased brilliantly in Manhattan’s Helena Anrather Gallery, offers unique blends of color and light, as well as stunning showcases of the avant-garde.

When I think of The Bowery, I am immediately brought to the vibe of the iconic CBGB, the late punk club responsible for the careers of some of music’s most influential artists: Talking Heads, Ramones, Blondie, etc. I picture leather jackets, spiked hair, and Harleys ripping through the dirty streets of the downtown haven. It is, if anything, a complete opposite of the oasis experienced at the opening of Ketuna Alexi-Meskhishvilli’s Fugues at Helena Anrather. Those with preconceived notions of the neighborhood are immediately dispelled by the comforting euphoria of the Georgian-American artist’s work. The series opened on the 14th and is scheduled to run until the 20th of May.

Courtesy of the Artist and Helena Anrather, New York © Inna Svyatsky

Alexi-Meskhishvilli’s work occupies the small space of the gallery that is only amplified by the differentiation of her work. A first glance would have you immediately drawn to the stunning curtain work of hers which is adorned with her flower prints that include stunning strikes of blue and green. Being the largest pieces in the space, they come to serve as a focal point, but they are merely ushering us into the much larger scope of the gallery. They’re a portal of sorts, separating us from the known and unknown. The lights are flickering in the stills of her images. The flowers, however, are a recurring pattern throughout her work, and in each piece containing them there seems to be a different stroke of genius from Alexi-Meskhishvilli. She creates a different attention point in each of her pieces and begs us to look further into her work as she experiments with it.

Courtesy of the Artist and Helena Anrather, New York © Inna Svyatsky

The sheer scope of what Alexi-Miskhishvilli covers with this collection is tremendously impressive and shows just how well-rounded she is as a creator. There’s the known (portraits of human beings) and the unknown, which words wouldn’t even begin to describe. Each blurry background with the colorful pops strewn about has us wondering what the true nature of the piece is, as well as Alexi-Miskhishvilli’s intention behind it. Just when you think you make out her work, your mind drifts and you come up with an entirely new possibility of what you might be looking at. Even in some of the more “concrete” work there’s still an injection of abstruseness that exists. Whose perspective are we joining? Who and what are we looking at? Your brain will be thrown for such a lovely loop and you’ll be completely misreading things in the most delightful way.

Courtesy of the Artist and Helena Anrather, New York © Inna Svyatsky

The absence of narrative is what makes this exhibition so wonderfully freeing. Speaking of her own work, Alexi-Miskhishvilli said that “[she wants] the following word: splendidness.” Adding on the subject, she says “splendidness is fruit in its succulence, fruit without sadness. I want distances. My wild intuition about myself.” She sums up her own work with such a perfect innuendo.

Courtesy of the Artist and Helena Anrather, New York © Inna Svyatsky

Exhibition Review: Marilyn Minter at LGDR

Exhibition Review: Marilyn Minter at LGDR

Exhibition Review: Leo Villareal | Interstellar

Exhibition Review: Leo Villareal | Interstellar