Jean Dizzy Jr.
The Gagosian Gallery on Madison Avenue in the Upper East Side and Con Artist Gallery on Ludlow Street in the Lower East Side appear to have nothing in common: the former gallery caters to established artists and collectors, while the latter gallery caters to up and coming artists and younger collectors. Yet, it’s almost All Hallow’s Eve when our differences are minimized to make room for our imaginations. As John Chamberlain, whose work is being shown at the Gasgosian said, “Let the insanity play itself out through the materials. Then you don’t have to work about style. You’ll just be working to describe your own insanity.” Both galleries are showing the imaginative minds of artists through renderings of facial mask. Chamberlain’s masks are made of metal, while the downtown artists, which include Bree, Sofi Du, Rodney Sanon, Tom Fleming, Nolan Rhodes, Luz Rodriguez, Jeffrey Gaperin and Timonde to name a few, have created their artwork using commercially available plastic masks. The pairing of the art from both shows provides an intriguing panorama into the minds of artists. What does the mask unveil? Con Artist Gallery 119 Ludlow Street, New York, N.Y. (gallery hours 11 am to 7 pm). Gasgosian Gallery 980 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10075 (gallery hours Tues-Sat 10-6). The Con Artist masks are actually for sale and the gallery will be hosting a Halloween Party.
