Saul's recent paintings continue to electrify peaks and pits of narcissism—grandiosity and self-loathing, in arrogant and abject fantasies of murder, rape, and all-around depravity—with sweetening effects of effulgent color (purple-shaded purples, green-shaded greens, and so on) and pillowy texture. Why is it interesting to behold Stalin and Mao beheading legions of Nazis and Chinese Nationalists, respectively? Well, they do it against a field of sumptuous blue. Like a kid seeking the aid of his older brother in a fight, Saul dials up Willem de Kooning, with a quite wonderfully boop-boop-a-dooped "Woman." Through May 23. (Nolan, 527 W. 29th St. 212-925-6190.)
April 27, 2009
