Saturday night, AM had the pleasure of attending the openings of two exciting new shows at Chelsea’s Joshua Liner Gallery. In the main gallery was the “Further” group exhibition, which features Damon Soule, David Choong Lee, MARS-1, Nome Edonna, Oliver Vernon, Robert Hardgrave and Tomokazu Matsuyama. As we mentioned in our preview, the show consists of artists selected for an upcoming book of the same name highlighting contemporary abstract painting and themes of spiritualism and mysticism. Although the selected artists each has a unique and individual style, the show itself feels very cohesive and offers a nice survey of the movement.

In the rear gallery was Robert Hardgrave’s second solo show with Liner, entitled “Momentous.” Hardgrave has pieces in the accompanying group show, but his solo provides viewers with an opportunity to see a wider range of his talent, from caligraphic ink pieces on paper to sewn and painted collages to bold colorful canvases – all featuring Hardgrave’s swirling abstract forms that bring to mind ancient symbols and totems.

See images from the opening, after the jump.