Artnet News
New York Gallery Beat: Summer Drawing Shows
Derek Lerner, at Robert Henry Contemporary, closes June 29
The show is called “Convenient Gratification,” although it’s difficult to see anything that would be convenient about the New York-based artist’s meticulous, hyper-detailed abstract drawings, at least in terms of their creation. From afar, they manage to resemble both outwardly expanding maps and the nebulous blobs of something being viewed under a microscope. But up close, each line that comprises them is a visible testament to the artist’s craftsmanship and dedication. The show is rendered entirely in a dark blue ink, reminiscent of looping classroom doodles taken to their absolute extreme in both size and detail. We can’t but wonder how many pens it took to create these vast, dark lakes, which lie in such complementary contrast to the delicately lined fields surrounding them. —Cait Munro