James Kalm, like the whole city, is sweltering in summer heat, and it seems local curators are trying to lower the temperatures in galleries by presenting a couple of exhibitions showing cool abstraction. "Le Tableau" curated by Joe Fyfe at Cheim & Read is a pairing of classic postwar abstract styles that contrasts American and French examples by some of the most influential artists of the last fifty years. "Shape Language" deals with current abstraction, and the vocabulary of forms used. Several works harken back to a previous generation's pioneers of shaped abstraction like Ellsworth Kelly and Frank Stella. Includes a brief interview with Joe Fyfe.

James Kalm wheels into Chelsea to sample the exhibitions of Amy Sillman and Anna Sew Hoy. If anyone was to be put forth as an example of where the current state of the "New York School" is, Amy Sillman qualifies. Her luscious and physical use of paint, strong drawing, strange figurative fragments and an adherence to the legacy of Ab-Ex have given her a local cult-like following as well as international recognition. Anne Sew Hoy mixes masterly craft skills with an appreciation of the suburban abject, rendered in the ubiquitous materials of denim, ceramics and shades.