ArtList’s 3 Must See Shows: James Turrell, Philip Guston & Eric Fischl

1. James Turrell @ Pace Gallery
May 6 — June 18

Pace Gallery has devoted both its midtown location as well as one of its Chelsea galleries to James Turrell’s current show, 67 68 69. The show revisits the artist’s landmark light projections from the late 1960s, when Turrell was only beginning to create the light works that would eventually make him a major, historic artistic figure. The show includes both the seminal, immersive light artworks (including Turrell’s very first projection piece) as well as sketches from the artist, glimpsing the thought and preparation that goes into each major piece.

On view at 32 East 57th Street & 534 West 25th Street.

2. Eric Fischl @ Skarstedt Gallery
May 3 — June 25

Know for his painted examinations of the human condition, Eric Fischl’s current solo show, Rift Raft, departs from the suburban scenes of his past, turning toward the art world itself. Fischl has long been both fascinated and appalled by art fairs, seeing them as embodiments of the art world’s existential conflict — torn between artistic and commercial values. He attended fairs with his camera in tow, capturing the people and scenes he observed there. Now, his observations have become a meta-meditation on the very world and discourse into which these pieces will go.

On view at 20 East 79th Street, New York, NY.

3. Philip Guston @ Hauser & Wirth
April 26 — July 29

Hauser & Wirth’s current exhibit of Philip Guston includes 36 paintings and 53 drawings the artist created between 1957 and 1967, diving into a pivotal decade in the artist’s career. The show captures Guston immersed in the New York School alongside such contemporaries as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline, grappling with the philosophical issues the School sought to address; his pieces delve into the medium of painting and seek to arrive at the significance of abstraction.

On view at 511 West 18th Street, New York, NY.