Whitney Biennial 2017 - What Struck Me the Most

The Whitney Biennial is the art event that highlights recent works over the last 2 years from an assortment of international artists.  I noticed a prepondance of figurative and colorful paintings.  Some of the artists' works which shared a neon-color palette and seemed interchangeable.  Artists works that felt particularily similar were from Aliza Nisenbaum, Susan Cianciole, Dana Schultz and Jo Baer.  All were large scale figurative works.  Perhaps, Kerry James Marshall (KJM) (not represented in the show) but had a recent, brilliant retrospective at the Met Breuer may be credited with an insurgence of figurative paintings.  Artist Henry Taylor (b Amer 58) & Celeste Dupuy-Spencer both had several large paintings, seemed to be disciples of KJM and are artists to watch for in the future.  Tala Madoni's paintings were visually striking both for the light emanating from her paintings and from orifices the light stemmed in the paintings.  Madoni is American-Iranian b. 1981.  I was amused by the life-size figure sculptures heavily encrusted with beading & adornments by Raul de Nieves (b Mexico 1983.)  These tribal sculptures were fanciful and exotic.  They were positioned in front of a glass stained wall that bore the words peace and love giving both a glorious effect.  I was also intrigued by the photos taken by John Divola (b Amer 1949) which housed a painted portrait inside, vacant decrepit structures.  These images evoked isolation and destruction.  The majority of artists included in the show, regardless of their country of origin, seem to be residing in Brooklyn.   The Whitney Biennial contained works with social commentaries, highlighted contemporary artists that struck my fancy and had me scratching my head.  Whether you make it often to the Whitney, the Biennial exhibit is always worthwhile.