This Summer the artist Willie Cole installed four monumental chandelier sculptures on Park Avenue at 69th St and 70th St in Manhattan.

They are titled “Soul Catchers” and constructed out of used plastic water bottles.

Each work features interesting mathematical properties. The substrates are a series of circles with decreasing circumference from top to bottom, positioned so that the center of each circle is along a vertical axis.The number of bottles attached to this set of circles also decreases from top to bottom.
The use of chandeliers as the subject hints at the posh reputation of Park Avenue. Juxtaposing the wealth of the neighborhood with the use recycled plastic bottles Cole is making a societal statement, reflecting  on our reliance on single use plastic as well as the need for global access to safe drinking water.

This work will be up until November 5th.

Susan Happersett

The nara roesler gallery in Chelsea is currently presenting Brazilian artist José Patrício’s first solo exhibition in New York.

The show titled “geometry of chance” features a series of large format wall constructions created using small plastic puzzles pieces. These  square pieces are used in hand held slide puzzles.

Patrício uses mathematics to determine the placement of each piece within the composition without preparatory drawings.

I have chosen two works to show you. These particular works are based on a spiral pattern  within the grid formation. Like the slide puzzles that use the same plastic tile like pieces, one space within the grid is left empty.

In this  first example “Expansion and Retraction II” the shades of white, black and grey are the fronts of the puzzles pieces as the are received from the factory. Using mathematics, Patrício spirals the pieces  in increasing and decreasing grey scales to create a series of concentric squares that seem to vibrate into and off of the picture plane.

This next example is from the artist’s Recipientes series. For these works the puzzle pieces are turned over to show a circular indentation in the back. Filling this little reservoir in with enamel paint opens up new possibilities.

“Containers- Progressively Decreasing Accumulation in Blue, orange, and white” 2023

The raised circles offer an interesting textural element as well a sense of a dot matrix. The coloring is done after the pieces are in place and again determined mathematically. 

Close up 

The wall text for this exhibition references Blaise Pascal’s 17th Century principles of the Geometry of Chance. By creating his work by hand while using an algorithm, Patrício has invited an element of chance into his expression of the mathematics.

Susan Happersett