Mahogany, Oak, and Pine: Works by LeCorbusier | Charlotte Perriand | Sherrie Levine: Leo Koenig Inc., New York, NY

Traditionally, different types of trees and the material they embody have powerful meanings beyond their names and categories. Symbolically, Mahogany imparts sturdiness and protection, while Oak denotes wisdom and resistance and Pine signifies both longevity and humility. Hardness can be advantageous or troublesome, dependent upon the application. Once a living thing, the material is eminently changeable with exposure to climate, pressure, and manipulation yet remains singularly recognizable.

At first glance, the works in Mahogany, Oak, and Pine find connection through materiality, but intersect and diverge in surprising ways. Identifying characteristics are either ardently highlighted or clinically annulled. Notions such as degrees of strength and resilience, scarcity versus abundance, and the precious in opposition to the everyday all announce themselves much like striations of the grain.