Anne Collier, Sylvia Plath, 2009, Cibachrome print, 50 x 60 inches, ed. 3/5

Moyra Davey, Untitled (Nyro), Chromogenic color print, ed. 2/5, 24 1/4 x 2o 1/4 inches

Moyra Davey, Untitled (Speaker), Chromogenic color print, ed. 2/5, 24 1/4 x 2o 1/4 inches

There are some wonderful works on view in the exhibition White Noise, now on view through August 12th at James Cohan Gallery. As the press release states the show features “works that exist at the intersection of visual art, music and sound by artists of different generations. In the exhibition, there will be sounds to be looked at and objects to be heard. It will explore how sound can obliterate as well as elevate; how silence can involve both absence and presence.” Highlights: A new work by Simon Evans; a Tomaselli; an amazing black and white photo by Anne Collier ; and a series of four color photos of old record players and speakers by Moyra Davey which are nostalgic yet edgy at the same time.

John McCracken, Swift, 2007, Bronze, image courtesy of David Zwirner

6 works 6 rooms is a show I was not too excited about heading to for some reason. I suppose it is because it includes work by artists whose work I have seen a lot. I have to tell you that I was more than pleasantly surprised. On view are works by Richard Serra, Dan Flavin, Sol Lewitt, Fred Sandback, On Kawara and John McCracken. In each room the viewer can find one work. If you have never been to Zwirner’s space on 19th Street, it is expansive to say the least so each work gets more than its fair share of space. But with the Conceptual and Minimalistic works, that space is crucial to really appreciating the work without unnecessary distractions. As the press release states the works on view, “uniquely activate the spaces in which they are installed-for instance, through light (Flavin); reflection (McCracken); gravity (Serra); void/presence (Sandback); conceptually (Lewitt); or contemplatively (Kawara).” In some rooms, I lost myself in the work and was brought back to why I love art in the first place–it transported me. It made me stop and experience something in a true way. (The exhibition is on view through the 14th of August).

Shinique Smith, Untitled (Chunk), 2008, Fabric, clothing, binding and foam, 12 x 14 x 12 inches

There is a three-dimensional Shinique Smith work in a group show at Marianne Boesky that is affordable and small enough to place in a special spot in your home. I love her work (see a previous entry on my studio visit with her).