Two upcoming exhibitions: Images of Women and Devil’s Pageant

This month, Jack Rutberg is having one conventional exhibition and one extraordinary one. The first consists of paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints of women, by artists from the 19th century to now (until 30 April). The names are distinguished: Fantin-Latour, Maillol, Matisse, Ernst,Gorky (below) Picasso, Rivera, Moore, de Kooning, Nevelson, Lichtenstein, Wesselman and Hockney, to mention only a few; a star item is Käthe Kollwitz’s famous sculpture of 1938, “Pietà”. It should bring in the bread and butter. The fun will come with the collaboration between two friends, the pianist Alfred Brendel, who is performing in LA this month, and George Nama sculptor and etcher. For Brendel is also a poet. He loves devils and he has produced a livre d’artiste about them, with etchings by Nama. On 6 April he will give a poetry reading, which may include this: “When devils feel bored they play at being good/ With pious faces hands neatly folded they sit round the boardroom table and forgive each other anything they ever did or might be itching to do/ The first to dissolve in tears wins”. You will also be able to see the sculptures by Nama inspired by the theme of devils, which are best described as organic with diabolical attributes, and which have a Surrealist feel to them. This show lasts until 31 April and its catalogue has introductions by two grand writers, Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Simic and Yves Bonnefoy of the Académie française.