After that sleepy summer, shows that blur the lines between art and design abound in New York galleries this fall. ARTINFO has picked our five most eagerly anticipated exhibitions of the season.
“AFTER” at R20th Century Gallery, 82 Franklin Street, September 20-October 27
Interior designer Kelly Behun and artist Alex White take over the Tribeca space with murals and functional art that “take after” — that is, sample, reference, praise, and deconstruct — works of old favorites; their one-of-a-kind tables, for example, hardened versions of free-flowing resin, pay homage to the lava-like wax sculptures of Lynda Benglis.
“AUGMENTED” at Gallery R’Pure, 3 East 19th Street, October 25-31
Looking through your smartphone, works by architects and designers — the likes of Dror Benshetrit, Joe Doucet, and Todd Bracher — take on a new life with the help of augmented reality technology. No 3-D glasses required.
“Ivy Style” at The Museum at FIT, Seventh Avenue at 27th Street, September 14, 2012-January 5, 2013
The enduring and infinitely influential “Ivy League look” was surprisingly avant-garde in its heyday. This historical exhibition — conveniently scheduled to fill the post-Fashion Week void — surveys the evolution of letterman sweaters, khaki pants, and tweed jackets from cutting-edge statement pieces to quotidian menswear staples.
“John M Armleder: Selected Furniture Sculptures 1979–2012” at the Swiss Institute, 18 Wooster Street, September 13-October 28
Because most paintings are inevitably bound for the domestic environment, to be displayed in close proximity to the couch, the coffee table, and the ottoman, Fluxus artist John M. Armelder preemptively pairs his canvasses, dating back to 1979, with the modernist and art deco furnishings (or in some cases, guitar amps, surfboards, and mirrors) that enhance each other’s form and function.
“Moss, the Auction: Dialogues Between Art & Design” at Phillips de Pury, 450 Park Avenue, October 6-15
Following the gestalt theory that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, design maven Murray Moss pairs highlights from his venerable design collection — pieces by Maarten Baas, Hella Jongerius, and Studio Job, for example— with various blue-chip artworks to create thought-provoking vignettes. A 10-day viewing provides the opportunity to ogle these intellectual fugues before they hit the auction block.
To see works from these fall design exhibitions, click the slide show.