On Saturday, 6/9/07, I visited several important exhibits in New York City. The following is a highlight of the current crop.

RICHARD SERRA: By far the most ambitious, monumental, and immersive work out there, the Richard Serra retrospective at MoMA is this summer's blockbuster. Try to time your visit when the maddening crowds are at a minimum (good luck). The two pieces in the courtyard are beautiful (see photos), as they catch the natural light and frame the surrounding midtown views. More interesting, however, are in the interior galleries. Here, Serra has two new pieces that are logical steps in his work. He links the organic and fluid spirals of his recent work into continuous pathways. One can honestly get lost in these installations, literally and emotionally.

TOBIAS PUTRIH @ Max Protech: Simple material and connections taken to the extreme. The furniture "language" is impressive in these quantities and jumbled combinations. ANDREAS GURSKY @ Mathew Marks: The forerunner in large format photography delivers once again. I appreciated how the spectators were immersed in the images on display. The beautiful shots of the islands in SE Asia spurred vacation talk throughout the gallery.

JANAINA TSCHAPE @ Sikkema Jenkins & Co: Her brilliant colors and loopy collage of shapes took my mind in many directions. It was like looking at clouds and finding animals. Beautiful doors were opened.

TIM HAWKINSON @ Pace Wildenstein: Did you see his show at the Whitney last year? Wow. This exhibit, though much smaller, still manages to display his enigmatic creations. The short video shows the highlight sculpture. Hawkinson never fails to inspire me with the new directions he takes his work.

SEAN LANDERS @ Andrea Rosen: In the spirit of Christopher Wool and Jasper Johns, Landers text-based art goes more graffiti. Striking in its simplicity and palette.

PETER SORIANO @ Lennon Weinberg: I can tell he's an architect. His volume models remind me of Rachel Whiteread in his treatment of space as solid. The plywood puts his sculpture in a very approachable light. I envision his work as part of a creative workshop.

Images from left to right: Tschape, Tschape, Soriano, Soriano, Serra, Serra, Putrih, Landers, Hawkinson, Hawkinson, Grusky, Grusky.