British artist Billy Childish is something of a multitasker, an author, poet, photographer, filmmaker, singer and guitarist, in addition to being a painter. Whatever the medium, the themes that have occupied his career have included his love life and his childhood as a victim of sexual abuse. As for his painting style, it's loose and figurative and owes a considerable depth to Van Gogh and Expressionism, with hints of Lucian Freud tossed in for good measure. His latest show includes nudes, landscapes, still lifes and self-portraits.
Billy Childish, Nude Reclining, 2015
For a medium pronounced dead on countless occasions, painting is alive and kicking, especially in New York. First off, museums in NYC are filled with paintings by modern and contemporary artists, as well as by Old Masters. And that beauteous bounty is reflected in the scores of gallery exhibits showing the same. No matter which art neighborhood you go to—Chelsea, the Upper and Lower East Sides, midtown—you will find scores of painting offerings. To prove the point, we offer our selections of must-see art shows that are soon to open—and close. See the list below in chronological order by closing date.