Natasha Das and Antonio Santίn at MARC STRAUS Arron Curry at MICHAEL WERNER
James Kalm has, in the decades of tracking the art happenings in New York, gotten to know where many of the lesser-known venues for the presentation of creativity are located. The textile and fabric works displayed by Natasha Das seem to reference a strong heritage of Modernistic Western abstract design. However, within the compositions of brilliant color blocks, wondering stitched lines, and overlays of silken hues, the materials used embody a notion of the subversion of colonial strictures by their use of more native, rugged and hand-woven cloth. Three large “carpet paintings” by Antonio Santίn are marvels of this painter’s unique technical process. Using oil paint and various unusual tools Santίn paints rich ornamental motifs and tassels with a facture the extends the images into three dimensions. Finally, we zip to the Upper East side to make a brief stroll through of a sculpture exhibition by Arron Curry. While there’s a goofy, slapdash appearance to these works, with echoes of 1950s “Nuclear Style” motifs, Curry’s inclusion of the base or plinth as an integral part, and his formalistic use of open or negative space, make these painted sculptural pieces satisfying. This program was recorded October 19th and November 2nd, 2023. #jameskalmreport #jameskalmroughcut #lorenmunk