“I love the tactile nature of cloth. It’s a familiar material. We as human beings have a lifelong relationship with cloth. It’s the first thing we’re swathed in at birth. It’s the last thing that touches our body upon our death.”
NEW
Carolyn Mazloomi: Whole Cloth, Narratives in Black and White
A self taught quilter working in the medium for over 55 years, Carolyn Mazloomi has had her works exhibited in well over 80 museums across the country. Considered to be one of the first artists to use the medium of quilting to further her social justice causes, Mazloomi speaks out on issues of police reform, equality in the public school system, literacy in Black neighborhoods, gun violence awareness, and inequality in voting rights.
On view at Claire Oliver Gallery, this is the gallery’s first solo exhibition of work by Carolyn Mazloomi and the artist’s first-ever gallery exhibition. Mazloomi now works exclusively in black and white, making her striking creations jump out at their viewers with the high contrast and detail of a linocut. Black and white images leave no room for nostalgia or romanticized subject matter; there is nothing to get between the viewer and the story the artist needs to share with us. We say, “It’s black and white” when we want to state something clearly. Indeed, none of the stories Mazloomi is telling have come to a resolution; she is inviting conversation, and dialogue is the only way to move our country and our society forward.
2. FUTURA 2000: BREAKING OUT
Opens September 8
On view at the Bronx Museum is a retrospective of this singular artist’s evolution from early graffiti art styles to his current practice of contemporary abstraction. The exhibition is the most comprehensive examination of FUTURA 2000’s five-decade career ever presented in his hometown of New York City. On view through winter 2025, BREAKING OUT showcases his sculptures, drawings, prints, studies, collaborations, and archival paraphernalia dating from the 1970s to the present, as well as new site-specific temporary installations.
FUTURA 2000’s practice today continues to bear his fascination with the aesthetics of science fiction and the space age. These interests led to his early adoption of sophisticated computer technology and video gaming. Utilizing spray paint with virtuosic precision, he creates abstract cosmic compositions on canvas. Refined lines are contrasted by mists of vibrant colors and gestural brush marks while large areas are left empty—allowing forms to float freely across the surface, suggesting the expansiveness of outer space. His recurring motifs include the atom shape, symbolizing perpetual motion; a crane or linear mark, indicating a moment of rupture; and the enigmatic Pointman, reminiscent of an alien presence.
The exhibition’s title, Breaking Out, refers to FUTURA 2000’s boundary-breaking creative practice and his famous 1980 piece, Break, where the artist painted the full exterior of an NYC. subway car with vibrant color and no lettering—a first for the graffiti art movement. At the time, FUTURA 2000 would “bench” in the South Bronx to watch his Break train pass by on elevated tracks—a short distance from The Bronx Museum.
LAST CHANCE
3. Block Party II
Closes September 21
Jenkins Johnson New York presents a group exhibition featuring works by Quinci Baker, Adrian Burrell, Mustafa Ali Clayton, Laurena Finéus, Quil Lemons, Collins Obijiaku, Gregory Rick, Andre Wagner, and Demetrius Wilson. As a continuation of Block Party (2018), Block Party II draws inspiration from the vibrant history of block parties that have enlivened the streets of Brooklyn. These gatherings, are more than just social events, but rather an investment in futurity serving as crucial forums for discussing larger community issues. Rooted in the artists’ practice and upbringing within communities marked by mutual care and creativity, Block Party II is a vision of communal liberation.
Opens September 6
4. Santi Moix: Future Flora
Pace Prints is pleased to announcean exhibition of new monoprints by Santi Moix. An opening reception will be held at the gallery this Thursday, September 5, from 6-8pm.
Future Flora is a continuation of Moix’s exploration of beauty and ephemerality, as it draws from previous bodies of work published with Pace Prints: Hanabi (2019), inspired by the firework festival in Nagaoka, Japan; and Rippling (2012), which the artist named for the effect produced by the spontaneous layering of silkscreens. Moix incorporates motifs of drooping blossoms and barbed leaves tinged in melancholic blue that appear as gentle reminders of the inevitable condition following energetic bursts of life.
5. Fire Island: The Art of Liberation
Only eight miles away from Long Island’s south shore, but a world apart from Long Island’s suburbia is Fire Island. This barrier island seashore offers residents and visitors the freedom to express themselves, both personally and artistically. It has offered a warm-weather respite to Long Islanders and New Yorkers for more than a century, with ferry service beginning in the mid-19th century, soon after the first hotels were built. The Hamlets of Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines have provided LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers the freedom to express themselves since the mid-20th century, and these communities have been celebrated worldwide as a place of acceptance, drawing artists seeking inspiration.
The exhibition on view at the Long Island Museum features works by Paul Cadmus, Meryl Meisler, John Laub, Joanne Mulberg, TM Davy, Doron Langberg, Louis Fratino, and more.