Gagosian Juxtaposes the Works of Man Ray and Urs Fischer at TEFAF NY
On view at the Park Avenue Armory until May 10.
Today TEFAF New York will return for its eighth iteration at the Park Avenue Armory. To ring in the festivities, Gagosian presents a special exhibition juxtaposing the photographs of Man Ray and the work of Urs Fischer.
As a key figure in the Dada and Surrealist movements, Ray’s artistic practice was characterized through constant experimentation that rejected the traditional modes of photography. As part of its showing, Gagosian will display Ray’s Les grands-trans-parents (c. 1970–75), a decorative oval mirror mounted on a sage green velvet support, with the enigmatic phrase of the title scrawled by the artist in black ink on the glass surface. The work playfully refers to André Breton’s concept of the “Great Transparents” — or unseen forces that cause illogical events to transpire around the world. In Ray’s work, the text intentionally disrupts the viewer’s ability to see themselves, negating the function of the mirror, and in turn, reflecting a disillusionment with the surrounding space.
Just opposite, the gallery draws from Fischer’s acclaimed Problem Paintings in Grilled (2010), where the Swiss artist features a black-and-white portrait of an old film star, whose head is partly covered by a giant warped spoon.
Gagosian’s showing of the two artworks provides the viewer a unique opportunity to ponder their conceptual similarity and difference, along with a chance to witness the eccentricities of the world in a new light. The installation will be on view at TEFAF New York Spring 2022 until May 10. If you would like to attend the fair, please purchase tickets at TEFAF.
In related news, 1-54 art fair returns to New York after a two-year hiatus.
TEFAF New York
Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue,
New York, NY 10065
