Exhibition
in New York, NY / United States
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- Agustín Fernández: Untitled, 1981, oil on canvas, 50 x 41 in, 127 x 104.1 cm
Nathalie Karg Gallery is pleased to present a major multi-level exhibition exploring the intersection of the human body, industrial landscapes, and the “living” machine. The presentation features a landmark solo survey of the late Cuban master Agustín Fernández on the ground floor, leading to a contemporary dialogue between Jenny Snider and Dorian Gaudin on the second floor.
The exhibition begins with an expansive look at the visceral, precision-based world of Agustín Fernández (1928–2006). Spanning several decades, this survey tracks the artist’s evolution toward his iconic fusion of the organic and the industrial. His “armature” paintings — characterized by metallic sheens, buckles, and surgical straps — investigate the boundary between human form and mechanical hardware, establishing the psychological and formal foundation for the exhibition.
In the stairwell, a large-scale work on paper by Fernández serves as a conceptual bridge. By stripping the “armature” back to its essential gestural lines, this piece transitions the viewer from the dense materiality of the ground floor toward the open, rhythmic energy of the contemporary works above.
On the second floor, the exhibition shifts into a dynamic conversation between painter Jenny Snider and sculptor Dorian Gaudin. Snider’s “townscapes” introduce a lyrical, narrative shorthand; her depictions of urban environments capture the movement and memory of the city through a filmic lens, offering a humanized counterpoint to the rigid structures downstairs. Gaudin’s metal wall works translate the metallic motifs of Fernández into raw, three-dimensional physical gestures.
The floor is anchored by a kinetic sculpture by Gaudin. This moving work acts as the exhibition’s “engine,” bringing industrial themes to life. Its unpredictable, stuttering choreography explores “organic mechanics,” turning the gallery into a theater of movement that bridges the gap between Snider’s painted rhythms and the frozen metallic structures of Fernández.
By leading with the historical weight of Fernández and culminating in the literal motion of Gaudin’s sculpture, the exhibition functions as a vertical evolution, moving from the psychological armor of the past into the active machinery of the present.
Agustín Fernández (1928–2006) was a seminal figure in international Modernism. His work is held in prestigious collections including MoMA, the Whitney Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Jenny Snider is an acclaimed artist known for her ability to translate complex histories and urban rhythms into a sophisticated, rhythmic visual language.
Dorian Gaudin is a contemporary sculptor whose work explores the friction between industrial materials and unpredictable, lifelike movement.
Across painting and sculpture, “Constructed Tensions” traces a shared investment in psychological, architectural, and physical frameworks. Each artist constructs systems that appear simultaneously stable and on the verge of rupture, proposing that tension is not incidental to form, but constitutive of it.
Gallery hours Tue-Sat 10 am – 6 pm
Exhibition Duration 12 March – 02 May 2026
Location:
Nathalie Karg Gallery
127 Elizabeth Street
10013 New York, NY
United States
