Don't miss the best March openings from MoMA, The Whitney and The Met.
Paul Signac, “Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints, Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon in 1890” (1890, oil on canvas), 29 inches by 36 1/2 inches, on view at MoMA.
1. Félix Fénéon The Anarchist and the Avant-Garde—From Signac to Matisse and Beyond
In a rare exhibit to focus on an arts patron rather than the artist himself, MoMA explores the legacy of the art critic, editor, publisher, dealer and collector. Fénéon championed the careers of Georges-Pierre Seurat, Paul Signac, Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse and Amedeo Modigliani, whose works appear in the 160-object show. March 22-July 25, 11 W. 53rd St., moma.org
2. Agnes Pelton: Desert Transcendentalist
Agnes Pelton is the kind of artist whose style is recognizable immediately if you already know her work. Her dessert paintings can at times resemble anything from an alien world to a nativity scene. Created in partnership with the Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Gilbert Vicario, The Whitney’s retrospective contains approximately 45 of these abstract, transcendental works. March 13-June 28, 99 Gansevoort St., whitney.org
Donald Judd, “Untitled” (1960, oil on canvas), 70 inches by 47 7/8 inches, on view at MoMA.
3. Judd
From wavy prints to colorful boxes stacked up like Legos, Donald Judd’s work commands attention, though the artist once said, “I had always considered my work another activity of some kind. I certainly didn’t think I was making sculpture.” Now, MoMA presents the artist’s first retrospective in more than 30 years with sculpture, painting and drawing. March 1-July 11, 11 W. 53rd St., moma.org
4. Photography’s Last Century: The Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee Collection
The Met’s latest photography exhibit celebrates the museum’s 150th anniversary with more than 60 images. Featuring a range of artists such as Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon and Andy Warhol, to name a very few, the collection is diverse in its subject matter but tends to focus on work done at the beginning of careers. For example, see Walker Evans’ early self-portraits and a portrait series from Cindy Sherman that predates the film stills that would make her a star. March 10-June 28, 1000 Fifth Ave., metmuseum.org
Photography by: Donald Judd photo courtesy of National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa © 2020 Judd Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Paul Signac photo courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David Rockefeller, 1991/Photo by Paige Knight © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris;
