Gary Taxali‘s third New York exhibition “Gary Taxali: Hotel There” opens tomorrow, Nov. 21, at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery, 529 W. 20th St., 9th Floor (reception from 6–8 p.m.).
He says about the work: “I have always been fascinated by time, and the recognition of present moment awareness. In my current body of work, I aim to capture some of these concepts by delving into themes of love, isolation, hope, relationship follies, pain and happiness. In the last 18 months, I have visited Asia three times (China twice, India once), and the long journeys to these far-away places have impacted me artistically. The 30 works in this exhibition harken (either literally or conceptually) to moments of fear, isolation, excitement and cultural divides that I experienced. Airport gates and hotels are somber reminders of this. We are simultaneously connected and divided. That is, the sameness of the human condition is underscored by its overt differences. From a human standpoint we are all one, but from a place of self-reflection, traveling is not only a futile reprieve from the present moment, it’s a vehicle of awareness to our own, unique selves. In this way, there is no ‘there’ because everywhere is ‘here.’ Yet we persevere because we all know on some level the journey is not to a location, it’s to us. Life’s purpose is self-knowledge, and the voyage its vessel. ‘Hotel There’ awaits your check-in.”
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Meanwhile, Rick Meyerowitz’s National Lampoon art and illustration is on view at Glenn Horowitz Bookseller / RARE through Dec. 5, at 17 W. 54th St.
The exhibition features finished artwork, process drawings, typescripts, vintage “Lampoon” issues, albums, books and associated ephemera from the very beginning of the publication through the early 1990s. Among the many items on display will be: the “Mona Gorilla” (above); the Dodosaurs; both the famous “Animal House” poster and its preparatory sketch; several versions of Meyerowitz’s celebrated “Bird” parodies; and his unconventional takes on classic children’s tales, as well as topical caricatures of political and cultural figures such as Ronald Reagan, Johnny Carson, Babe Ruth and Sophia Loren, and depictions of events from the Olympics and Chappaquiddick to Watergate and the first Gulf War. And let’s not forget “The Presentation of The Bill” (below).
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