Art in America

The Lookout: A Weekly Guide to Shows You Won't Want to Miss
By David Ebony
May 9, 2013

With an ever-growing number of galleries scattered around New York, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Where to begin? Here at A.i.A., we are always on the hunt for thought-provoking, clever and memorable shows that stand out in a crowded field. Below is a selection of current shows our team of editors can’t stop talking about.

John Zurier at Peter Blum, through June 22 

John Zurier walks a tightrope that stretches between everything and nothing. The dozen recent oil-on-canvas works in "A spring a thousand years ago," wispy, barely there monochrome compositions in gray, pale blue or mauve, at first seem utterly negligible. Yet their ethereal quality gives way on second look to a feeling of epic image-making. Major pieces, such as the luminous blue-green Hellnar and icy purple Öxnadalur, suggest dramas of nature-land-, sea- or skyscapes. With infinite ambitions and wry sophistication, Zurier makes even the most wan brushstrokes seem perfectly executed and profound.