There’s just one more week to see Autumn Ahn’s “No Sun,” a small but impressive installation at the Anthony Greaney gallery near Union Square.
This is one of the best uses of Greaney’s Milk Row Studios space in recent memory. The centerpiece of the exhibit, “the field,” is a large, multicolored collage of Korean hanji paper. It spans the room and even touches the ceiling. The piece’s curves hug the wall perfectly, suggesting a gentle sense of movement that matches the muted, natural color palette of the paper – a handmade material created from mulberry bark.
A conceptual artist at her core, Ahn sees “the field” as a landscape composition. That might feel ridiculous at first, but it triggers the viewer’s imagination in a way that makes you start to see it that way. Each windowpane-sized panel of paper begins to seem almost like an enlarged pixel. Seen from far away, it’s like a modern pointillist painting.
A spirit of tender abandon marked the installation of the exhibit. On the wall next to “the field” are a series of large papers called “the windows.” Ahn and Greaney hung them on the first attempt – Greaney called it one of the easiest installations he’s done in the space, a playful process that gives the whole piece a sense of motion. The papers curl toward each other; brass grommets are embedded with an irregular pattern into the paper. Every detail brings out a charming sense of tactility, and you can’t help but want to take a closer look.
Greaney has platformed a stellar lineup of artists in his scrappy Milk Row Studios space, and this show is no exception. Katarina Burin, a 2024 exhibitor, was selected for a Guggenheim Fellowship award this year, and Brittni Ann Harvey, who showed her work there in 2021, was chosen for the prestigious Boston Artadia grant this year. With Ahn’s intuitive approach and playful use of material, “No Sun” is another example of Greaney’s keen eye for artists who deserve wider recognition.
“No Sun” by Autumn Ahn through Nov. 22 at Anthony Greaney, 438 Somerville Ave., Ward 2, Somerville. Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 6 p.m.
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