With the Armory fast approaching I needed to get out to see some shows since this upcoming week of fairs will monopolize my time.

A sampling of what is on view:

SUPERFLEX, Flooded McDonald's, 2009

“Flooded McDonald’s” at Peter Blum is an exhibition including three videos: Burning Car (2008), The Financial Crisis (I-IV) (2009) and Flooded McDonald’s (2009) by the Danish collective, SUPERFLEX. Founded in 1993 these artists create projects that deal with the environment, politics, and questioning power structures. Flooded McDonald’s is the centerpiece of the show and though 21 minutes long, just spending 5 minutes with this work can give you the gist. In it, an exact replica of a McDonald’s slowly fills with water. Sounds of gurgling and rising water complement simple yet potent images of fries floating, a Ronald McDonald statue toppling, and cash registers shorting out. This work is an examination of the “consequences of consumerism.” The other two works are also worth a peek.

Nari Ward, Sick Smoke

Nari Ward at Lehmann Maupin is worth a visit as well. This is Ward’s first solo exhibition at the gallery and it includes sculpture, works on paper, and video works. As the press release explains Ward is interested in the “idea of support—physical, spiritual, social, and judicial–while introducing contemplation of everyday objects.” As one enters the gallery he is confronted with Sick Smoke an ambulance filled with smoke whose black lettering is obscured with white vinyl.

Nari Ward, Riot Gates

Ward also has large scale x-ray images of the human skull surrounded by shoe tips (which often represent the human body in the artist’s work). On March 6th at 1:30 there will be an exhibition walk-through with the artist and the Assistant Curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem.

Ken Price, 2009

The Ken Price show at Matthew Marks is brilliant. All of the works on view are from 2009. The main gallery has three larger-scale works which are relatively new for him. The other three galleries house his smaller works. The first time I was introduced to Price’s work, I did not like it. Now, however, I am able to appreciate the hand-finished process of layers and layers of paint sanded to give the complex and smooth surface to each of his works.

Ken Price, detail

I really find his work, made of painted bronze composite, sensual and stunning.

Jay DeFeo, Untitled, 1973, Gelatin Silver print

Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery has a wonderful show of works on paper and photographs by the late California artist Jay Defeo. The works are delicate and intricate requiring close viewing. The works in the main gallery by Mitzi Pederson are a lovely complement to DeFeo’s works. Pederson’s sculptures are made up of fragile materials but the composite of them create energetic and powerful pieces.

Calder at Gagosian

Calder installation view

In one Gagosian space in Chelsea there are monumental sculptures from the 1960s on view, in the other there are five David Smith works. He sure does know how to fill a gallery with amazing works and pull out the big guns.

El Anatsui installation view

I have written about El Anatsui many times before. I am enamored by his work. Jack Shainman continues his excellent program with an Anatsui show. The gallery fills with yellows, blacks, reds and gold.

Sterling Ruby at Pace Wildenstein

Sterling Ruby has created two large-scale works for Pace’s 22nd Street space. One is a hollowed out and reconfigured bus with individual locked cages replacing the normal bus seating. In the back is an area filled with subwoofers. I am still trying to figure out exactly what these works were all about but they are interesting to see.

Mike Norton at 303

Mike Norton at 303 has his first solo show with the gallery which consists of four trailers connected together filling the enormous space. The viewer is invited to enter the space where knicknacks and various items such as cigarette butts are left making the space look recently occupied. It reminded me of Hello Meth Lab in the Sun by Jonah Freeman, Justin Lowe and Alexandre Singh on view at both Ballroom Marfa in 2008 and Jeffrey Deitch last year.

interior view

But that work had more power and the element of surprise and shock where this simply seemed a bit hollow. I wasn’t quite sure what message the piece was trying to convey.

Installation view, Size DOES Matter, FLAG Art Foundation

“Size DOES Matter” at The FLAG Art Foundation is a heavily marketed show. The fact that it was curated by Shaquille O’Neal only adds to the hype. Most people probably don’t think of Shaq as an art expert. In fact, his interests are quite varied and he has been successful in many endeavors outside of basketball. But it is a bit of stretch to say he “curated” this show. He was shown a variety of works by the heads of the FLAG, and he selected the ones that spoke to him. As a bit of a freak of nature standing at 7′1″ and weighing 320 pounds, size has always mattered to Shaq and the works he selected speak to that. While there are some great works on view by excellent artists, the show feels disjointed and did not speak to me as a cohesive concept.

Anselm Kiefer, Untitled Young Mao

There was a beautiful Anselm Kiefer called Untitled, Young Mao from 2000,

Robert Thierrien

a Robert Thierrien No Title (Table and Six Chairs) from 2003 and works by Hawkinson, Koons, and Kehinde Wiley as well as many others.