Paul Corio surveys a selection of current and recent abstract painting shows in New York including: Michael Brennan at Minus Space (through Feb 15), Lori Ellison at McKenzie Fine Art (through Feb 16), Anoka Faruqee at Koenig Clinton (through Feb 22), Melissa Meyer at Lennon, Weinberg (through Feb 15), Mike Childs at Robert Henry Contemporary, Things Still Left Unsaid at Stephan Stoyanov Gallery (through Feb), Osamu Kobayashi and Björn Meyer Ebrecht at Storefront Ten Eyck (through Feb 23), Daniel Levine at Churner and Churner (through Feb 22), Jason Stopa at Novella Gallery, Simplest Means at Jeff Bailey Gallery (through Feb 22), and Between Levels, a four-person exhibition at Hionas Gallery (through Feb 16).

Corio begins: "One of the things I like best about the resurgence of abstraction in New York is the shear number of shows. The quality is uneven to be sure, but that’s the point; one is given the luxury of exercising judgment. I can remember several junctures not that many years ago when there were so few exhibitions of abstract painting that you were sort of starved or blackmailed into viewing them in a positive light. One could always recharge at the museums during the drought periods, but the idea that little was being added felt gloomy. The new year opened in New York with a veritable avalanche of abstract paintings."