Enzo Cucchi’s symbolic language conquers New York

[Translated from Italian]

The artist from Marche returns to the Big Apple with two exhibitions: one at Vito Schnabel Gallery in Chelsea and another at Gavin Brown’s space in Harlem.

The first work by Enzo Cucchi that greets visitors as they enter the Vito Schnabel Gallery (Enzo Cucchi: Mostra Coagula, on view until May 22) is a large steel net, with a man on a boat painted on it, intent on painting despite the fact that his boat is sinking. The work consists of bold, minimal brushstrokes in blue, white, and black enamel, with much of the surface left empty. The essential brushwork and the sheer size of the net, compared to the figure, create a visual perception where, from a distance, the industrial metal object is noticed before the painting.