Lisa Yuskavage’s Naked Witchery

New York-based painter Lisa Yuskavage’s show of new works has just opened at the David Zwirner Gallery and there’s a deliberate yellow-green haze weaving through each one of her Dalí-esque pastoral scenes of paganistic nudes, letting their mystically-luscious long locks and pendular breasts swing in the dusk. There’s something “vulgar” and “angelic” about them, sprawled erotically in the fields, surrounded by pots, apples and Russian peasants. Lisa Yuskavage, Sep 27 – Nov 5, David Zwirner Gallery, NYC

The Big Lebowski by Caravaggio

This fresh cycle of oil paintings from artist Joe Forkan isn’t just another dump of The Big Lebowski-phile fan art. Oh no. From Rubens to Titian to Caravaggio, each work channels a specific painterly masterpiece while simultaneously encompassing a key moments of the cult film. Those classical compositional really pulls the mise-en-scène together. “Paintings From the Lebowski Cycle,” Joe Forkman, Sep 10 – Oct 28, Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion, Costa Mesa, California

Lui Liu: Chinese-Canadian Caravaggio

In his Yin series, Chinese expat Lui Liu paints nubile Eastern, Western and occasionally tattooed and fashionably bespeckled nudes in a classical style. Partially dressed in old Europe and ancient China dreads, they’re trudging through surreal landscapes and laying about in girlie clusters. In his Yang series, things got a lot weirder.

Well just look at this lovely piece of art that you could own for $130! It’s a painting of Jesus holding a copy of the constitution. At his feet, to his right, are the good guys: the Christian minister, the farmer, the soldier, etc. At his feet, to his left, are the bad guys: a professor holding a copy of Darwin’s Origin of the Species, a Supreme Court justice and a news reporter. Get yours today! |Mother Jones|

Tomorrow, artist Jonathan Viner shows off his “Harem” of naked Russian women seemingly bored by the musical selection piped in on their clunky headphones. The exhibition of oil paintings opens at Sloan Fine Art from 4 to 6 PM and is on view through July 18 at 128 Rivington Street.

Painting over cheap lithograph reproductions, artist Wayne White shatters their soft 19th century Romantic landscapes with his colossal constructions of letters. Spelling out often absurd or vulgar phrases, the typographic additions are built into the quiet and tranquil scenes. After a career designing sets on Pee Wee’s Playhouse and art directing music videos, White turned to painting and has published a collection of his works: Wayne White: Maybe Now I’ll Get the Respect I So Richly Deserve. To mark the occasion, Mireille Mosler Ltd. opens “Way To Go Mister Subtle”, a solo exhibition of the Los Angeles-based painter’s work, from May 28 through June 25th at 35 East 6th Street.