Bananas on the wall, a local hero and throwaway humans: Welcome to February in Miami

The banana reappears, Art Wynwood opens its tent flaps and Miami artists shine. It’s all in February.

When is a Banana Art?” Lecture by director of NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale Bonnie Clearwater, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.; 1 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; nsuartmuseum.org/

Miami now realizes why Italian sculptor Mauricio Cattelan is known as a bit of a prankster — his “Comedian” was a real banana duct-taped to a wall during Art Basel Miami Beach, priced at $120,000. It created a global hub-bub, with some decrying it as an example of the vacuous state of art, others laughing at it as a commentary on the state of the art market. (During the fair, a performance artist ate part of the banana, which was replaced for 30 cents; no charges were filed.)

You can decide, possibly after listening to the director of the NSU Art Museum, Bonnie Clearwater, on Cattelan, whose work includes a sculpture of a “fallen” Pope John Paul II hit by a meteorite.

Lynne Golob Gelfman, “Wall Works,” Feb. 15 through March 7; 8375 NE Second Ave., Miami; tileblush.com. Feb. 15 - March 7.

The gallery had already scheduled an exhibit of one of Miami’s most important and talented creative spirits, but the untimely death of Gelfman in late January has added extra poignancy and power to the new paintings showcased in “Wall Works.” A native of New York and graduate of Sarah Lawrence, Gelfman transported her fascination with urban trappings (think chain-link fences and graffiti) and combined it with her new love of the subtropical natural land-and-seascapes of Miami, where she and her husband moved more than 40 years ago. Bogota, where her husband’s business is partially based, introduced her to indigenous tapestry and basket weaving, another theme she often incorporated into her abstract grid-like paintings.

Gelfman often painted on the reverse side of the canvas, so that the colors and lines when they seeped through to the front were somewhat blurred, in series such as “cloud/water/sand,” “dune,” “between” and “thru.” She showed in numerous galleries and museums, and her solo exhibit at PAMM just closed last April.

According to the directors of Tile Blush, “In November of 2019 Lynne painted some of the largest and most graphically immediate paintings of her career … as well as numerous atmospheric and nocturnal chain-link paintings. These powerful paintings will surprise you and are a truly a testament to the breath, range and agency of her paintings.” They will celebrate Gelfman’s life and art from 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 15.

Alette Simmons-Jimenez, “Mono No Aware,” S/223 Gallery, Miami Design District Paradise Plaza, 151 NE 41st St., #127 Miami. Through Feb. 20; miamidesigndistrict.net [IMAGE, suspended collage “Cloud in Yellow” 2019]

Miami-based Simmons-Jimenez has explored connections between human experience (our travels, homes, the architecture of the built environment) and the natural world all around it. “I like to imagine that my job is to map out the ground we stand on,” she says.

In this solo exhibition, she uses collage, video and paint to craft a blueprint following the Japanese concept of Mono No Aware, or the “awareness of the ephemeral nature of beauty; respect for life, death and the impermanence of all things.” But like so many local artists, Simmons-Jimenez doesn’t get that many chances to display her “mapping” in her home terrain.

S/223 has an aim to correct that. This nomadic venture, sponsored by Craig Robbins and the Design District, donates unleased space to local and emerging artists and performers for projects, curated by Tiffany Chestler.

Diego Gutierrez, “Hypersensitive Romantic,” Oolite Arts, 924 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach; oolitearts.org. Through April 5.

[IMAGE “Hypersensitive Romantic”]

This is the first solo exhibit by 2019 Oolite studio resident Diego Gutierrez; it is curated by the Frost Art Museum’s Amy Galpin. The young artist is having fun with art, covering the floors and walls in bright colors and matching the burst of colors in the paintings, often with Pop-ish, playful references. But he also includes more searing topics of the day, such as gun violence and discrimination, and tears the edges of the works. Some even include objects such as ceramic dolls, creating what Gutierrez himself describes as an “over-romanticized imagery.”

Mixed messages here? The artist thinks so.

“Diego is asking, ‘What constitutes a painting?’ How are they even relevant in today’s world,” writes Galpin. “These are questions posed by the artists who influence him, yet he answers in a distinctly different manner.”

Charo Oquet, “Entering Sacred Grounds:” Dimensions Variable, 101 NW 79th St., Miami; dimensionsvariable.net. Through March 14.

[IMAGE installation]

Charo Oquet has been an artistic force in Miami for decades, creating collaged installations and sculptures made from flotsam and jetsam; videos, photography and performances.

All reference Afro-Caribbean traditions. The Dominican native is a fierce supporter of marginalized ethnic communities, whose work she has featured in her exhibition space Edge Zones and performance festivals, along with other curated projects. She has exhibited internationally, serving as an informal emissary for Dominican — and by extension Caribbean — and queer cultures.

The immersive, room-size installation at DV explores these same themes, weaving concepts of sacred spaces and spiritual and mythical rituals with performances and a video documentary. Included are voices from the oppressed and neglected Dominican-Haitian and Dominican LGBTQ communities.

David Rohn, “misc:” Bridge Red Studios, 12425 NE 13th Ave., North Miami; bridgeredstudios.com. Through March 1.

[IMAGE, “Soldier Portrait”]

It’s a little hard to describe the sometimes moving, sometimes humorous performance art of David Rohn, whose cast of characters can be observed either live or in self-portraiture. He may appear as a hospitality laborer or an art collector; Andy Warhol or a Muslim “terrorist;” a bride in full gown; Walt Whitman; a female real estate agent; a presidential candidate. All offer social commentary on the absurdity of the high and low life.

Rohn’s latest exhibit is his unique take on our castoff culture, both the “trash” so to speak of polluting plastics and the human casualties of homelessness and disenfranchisement. Rohn calls them “survivors of our throw-away wars, collapsed families and communities, the addiction and medical industries and other traumatizing byproducts.”

Among the images are forlorn-looking vets, a shabby-bearded man in front of a Waffle House, a naked Rohn on an old picnic chair, “the thrown away that are less and less hidden.”

Art Wynwood: One Herald Plaza, downtown Miami; artwynwood.com. Feb. 14-17.

Now that you’ve recovered from December’s art week, it’s time for Art Wynwood, sister fair to Art Miami. If the works on the walls by artists including Francis Bacon, Mr. Brainwash and Dan Flavin don’t move you, you can always head to the bayside for the Miami Yacht Show. Do yourself a favor: Avoid the traffic and take Metro Mover.

Jane Wooldridge: 305-376-3629, @JaneWooldridge

This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 2:15 PM.