Helmut Lang

Back in 2005, the famed Vienna born designer of minimalist fashion announced that he was hanging up his scissors to pursue his dream of being an artist. People in the fashion industry were understandably skeptical, as were some in the art world. However, he's stuck to his guns, and now he's having his first solo show in New York with a presentation of sculptures made of resin and pigment. Taut pillar-shaped forms are exhibited along with flat, sheetlike pieces resembling plankton. According to Lang, it's all about exploring materials "with a certain history, elements with irreplaceable presence and with scars and memories of a former purpose."