Friends With Benefits at Lehmann Maupin
July 18, 2012
NEW YORK CITY—Lehmann Maupin Gallery kicked off its summer group show, “Friends With Benefits.” The eclectic series features a wide range of works, all created by New York based artists.The exhibition is curated by Carla Camacho and Drew Moody, and is presented in Lehmann’s Lower East Side location.
The Gallery asked five of the artists that it represents, Angel Otero, Tony Oursler, Tim Rollins, Mickalene Thomas, and Nari Ward, to assemble a series of young artists who are working in the New York area for a group show. As a result, the emerging artists that were nominated will receive the exposure that accompanies a blue chip gallery show. The artist selected are Wilfredo Ortega, David Antonio Cruz, Matias Cuevas, Sebastien Vallejo, Derrick Adams, and Nicole Awai.
Although the show comprises of mainly paintings, each of the featured artists has a radically different approach to the medium. David Antonio Cruz’s everythingandthepastrychef (2012), combines fabrics, ceramics, and gold leafing to create a highly textured collage painting that explodes from the canvas. Sebastian Vallejo has a more traditional, two dimensional approach for his painting Green Death. Regardless, his spray paint and acrylic treatment creates a very original result.
Left Image, David Antonio Cruz, everytingandthepastrychef 2012; Right Image, Sebastian Vallejo, Green Death 2012 via Lehmann Maupin

