Peter Malone writes about three small paintings from three current New York shows: Walter Buckner: Recent Paintings at Lori Bookstein Fine Art (through February 8), Susanna Coffey: Elemental at Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects (through February 9), Lois Dodd: Recent Paintings at Alexandre Gallery (through March 1).

Malone writes that while visiting these shows he "was pleasantly reminded that painting requires neither heroic-sized canvases nor the prestige of whitewashed airplane hangars to succeed as significant art. Very small pictures, if painted by gifted artists and installed in an adequate version of what Dave Hickey once dubbed a 'clean, well-lighted place,' can produce exhibitions just as ambitious and adventurous as larger-scale projects… these canvases address significant issues related to their respective genres while averaging little more than a square foot apiece."