Exhibition Review & Archive: MAGENTA PLAINS Jan. 25

26.1.25

Exhibition Review & Archive: MAGENTA PLAINS Jan. 25

Alexis Rockman

MAGENTA PLAINS

Alexis Rockman: Naples: Course of Empire (Level One)
Rexy Tseng Mouthful of Dirty Copper (Lower Level)
Jon Kessler: Petrified (Level Two)
January 16–March 1, 2025

Multiple Exhibitions in a Gallery Becoming A New Essential Method…
Recently I see more galleries having multiple exhibitions opening at once. Traditionally in NYC, Galleries in an area tend to have openings at the same time so that each gallery has more visitors. Multiple exhibitions in one gallery is a similar and a smart strategy. Because it happens in the same premises the gallery can coordinate and curate each exhibition related to each other. They can also show all established artists, or feature an established artist and emerging artists for solo shows or a group show they want to promote vice-versa. While they perhaps need more staffing to curate multiple exhibitions throughout a year, it is their strength to be able to hold multiple events and exhibitions and present the gallery's uniqueness.

Magenta Plains has three floors and it seems they are doing a successful model of the method mentioned above. I was impressed with their current exhibitions in which all three artists have works related to the environment and wild lives. I believe their main room is the ground floor just like other galleries, and the second large space is the basement with a high ceiling. Third floor is divided into two sections.

Current exhibitions at Magenta Plains…

The current three exhibitions feature artists whose works depicting nature’s power and manpower.

It is a summary of man’s lives and inventions and the natures, and the balance and effects to each other.

Their works are made with observation based standpoints rather than emotionally-charged stances, creating the harmonious peaceful atmosphere despite the topic of their work. There are short notes of my observations and thoughts on each artists's work below, before images of each artist.

If you are in China Town I recommend to stop by and see these three exhibitions. And there are many nice chinese bakeries in this area after.

Alexis Rockman: Naples: Course of Empire January 16–March 1, 2025 (Level One)

-Features long holizontal landscare paintings, the format reminded me of the holga 120 panorama camera which I used to play with back in Japan. His paintingsa capture the motions of wild lives which are reactions to the nature's or the earth's movements. Looking at his paintings are like watching a movie from National Geographic.

Alexis Rockman

Alexis Rockman, detail

Alexis Rockman

Rexy Tseng Mouthful of Dirty Copper January 16–March 1, 2025 (Lower Level)

Rexy's paintings depicting the disasters around the world in the square format which we just recently lost in our favorite Instagram. Removing all the figures in the pictures he finds, and reproducing it as a new image, the abstracted images become something very relatable to us wherever we live. It is because every place on earth has some kind of natural disaster or accidents. If we see a planet scale, “it”, some damage to the earth and people who live there, are happening constantly.

While larger works are catching our initial attention, I actually liked two of his smaller paintings in this exhibition because while Rexy's painting style is the same for his larger paintings, because of the smaller size my eyes go to more detailed brush strokes.

Rexy Tseng

I like these smaller paintings because while Rexy's painting style is same for his larger paintings, because of the smaller size my eyes go to more detail brush strokes.

Rexy Tseng

Jon Kessler: Petrified January 16–March 1, 2025 (Level Two)

Jon Kessler's sculptures also have elements of nature and manmade items- technology. From just seeing the work I got the artist's interest in environmental damage on the earth that humans give, and the decay of technology (gadgets) in front of the power of nature.