Irving Penn at The Met

 The Irving Penn centennial show at the Metropolitan Museum is a delight.

The work looked fresh

and the art lovers themselves were unfailingly photogenic.

The four photographic prints on this shelf were done over a period of years. It was interesting to see them together.

It was nice to be able to compare the photos framed on the wall

with the same photos as they originally appeared in magazines.

Such a delight to spend time with Penn's photographs.

Hard not to peer in for closer looks. 

Try to put aside an hour because you will want to see everything.

 This free-standing painted backdrop turned out to be an inspired stroke as people lined up to take pictures of each other in front of the venerable Irving Penn prop.

Doesn't that background add something?

This show left us feeling lighthearted and refreshed. Until July 30th.

Marsden Hartley at Met Breuer

A highlight of our spring art tour of New York is at the Met Breuer (former Whitney Museum building). Here is a quick survey of its treasures.

Visitors step off the elevator to some evocative film footage that Hartley shot on a river in Maine.

Storm Down Pine Point Way, Old Orchard Beach, 1941-43 illustrates Harley's response to American Folk Painting.

as does City Point, Vinalhaven, 1937-38.

Untitled (Maine Landscape), 1910 reminded us of Canadian Group of Seven paintings although he comes to this style through folk art rather than through Deco.

Paysage, 1924

The Wave, 1940 is Harley's wonderful response to

Winslow Homer's painting, Northeaster, 1895.

Both John and I were inspired by Harley's drawings like Self-Portrait as a Draftsman, 1908.

Sawing Wood, 1908 (graphite). No one else has a line quite like this.

Study for "Lobster Fishermen", 1940, pastel.

On the Beach, 1940 once more reflects Harley's interest in folk painting with his simplified shapes and out-of-proportion figures.

Here is his (much more realistic) drawing for the painting.

Monumental male form in Flaming American (Swim Champ), 1939-40.

We loved Sea Window-Tinker Mackerel, 1942

with its still-life of mackerel.

The exhibition filled one floor of the building -- allowing an in depth look at his oeuvre without exhausting the visitor.

The show ended with an evocative Mount Katahdin, Snow Storm, 1942 which may reflect his interest in Japanese prints of Mount Fuji.

Keiran Brennan Hinton at Mulherin New York

William Kimber and I rediscovered the Lower East Side last Saturday when we made our way to Mulherin New York to see new work from one of our favourite painters.

 Pop over to Mulherin (124 Forsyth) after your visit to the New Museum on Bowery and you'll stay to check out the neighbourhood's' thriving new galleries and restaurants. We'll certainly spend more time there on our next visit.

 Matter of Fact has its official opening tonight and in our book it is a "must see".

There you will find three magnificent new large paintings -- a size we haven't seen before from Hinton. The new work displays an exciting new level of quality.

Here is a detail from the painting above. You can see the continuity with the abrupt simplification and abstraction of his early work, but now in the service of a new optical realism.

Here is another large painting. These were all done in his studio. Note the night view out the window -- more on that in a moment.

Another detail 

Many new small paintings are on display as well.

Third of the large paintings. I was very struck by the range of blue tones on those drawers. 

Hinton's studio window by night has inspired a suite of small variations

all of them compelling 

 even bewitching.

Full disclosure -- Kimber and I bought a Hinton painting at his first exhibition (Mulherin Toronto, 2014). It is a constant joy. We'll leave you with one more smashing painting from the new show. (Until May 28th).

Sean Scully at Cheim & Read

Cheim & Read's Sean Scully show was high on our list of exhibitions to see in Chelsea last week.

In the big front room they had installed Blue Note (2016). If you don't know Scully's paintings this is a typically gorgeous example -- constructed from separately painted panels (oil and acrylic spray on aluminum).

These drawings were new to us. We haven't seen the third dimension in his work before. Wall of Light Cubed 9.20.15 (2015)

Brown Silver Tower (2016) -- pleasantly calm and self-contained.

But the surprise of the show was in the back room.

Colored Stacked Frames, new this year.

Automotive paint on stainless steel. Magnificent.

Stack 5.5.16 (2016) -- watercolour study for the sculpture?

Gallery staff were so friendly we felt comfortable asking questions. Altogether an energizing experience. More info at gallery exhibition page. Until May 20th.