Chris Ofili is Back in a Big Way-NIGHT & DAY @ the New Museum

Back in 1999, then mayor Guiliani had time on his hands & his foot in his mouth.  Chris Ofili (b. Manchester 1968) a recent Turner prize recipient, had his sculpture, "The Holy Virgin Mary" at the Brooklyn Art Museum.   It was hailed as "disgusting and sick" by Guiliani.  Guiliani is entitled to his opinion & free speech but it was egregious for him to try (although unsuccessfully) to revoke $7 million in public funding to the Museum.  The mayor's vitriolic tirade precipitated the sculpture being desecrated and manure being splayed on the Art Museum.  Ofili's notoriety soared and his work became associated with implementing elephant dung and irreverent provocation.  Ofili vowed never to return to NY.  Thankfully, the New Museum is showing Ofili's strident & masterful works from the last 2 decades.  Do not be dismissive of this multi-talented painter, sculptor and current set & costume designer for the Royal Ballet.  The exhibit contains more than 30 of his strident paintings & arresting sculptures.  The 1st floor has Ofili's paintings with shlilacked mounds of excrement on the canvas & holding up the work.  Their titles appear on the dung requiring you to look down & closely at the work.  These paintings are magnificient, finely crafted and vexing.  These paintings cunningly appear like fine, shimmering beaded work.  The Blue Rider paintings are showcased in a dimly lit gallery and emit a magical, twilight affect.   Done in soulful blue tones, the haunting images quietly reveal themselves.  In 2001, Guiliani had to contend with the 9/11 tragedy.  Censorship of an artist's work seemed both minuscule & more meaningful, like day & night.