click to enlarge Aaron Karp, Ghost Rocket

click to enlarge Robert Sagerman, 5,719, 2015, oil on canvas, 21x20 inches

click to enlarge Ajay Kurian, detail of Comfort Zone #2 (Enlightenment), 2014 Wood, Plexiglas, brass beads, resin, custom M&Ms, digital c-prints, reindeer moss, snail shell, paint,copper wire, magic sculpt, seashells, dragon balls, marbles, LED light fixtures. Courtesy the artist and 47 Canal, New York.

If you're into art, this is a good weekend to hit some openings in the city. On Friday night, downtown and the Central West End are the places to be. On Saturday, head to the Grove for a fascinating show at White Flag Projects.Here are the four openings that intrigue us most this weekend.James Marshall and Aaron Karp work in vastly different media: Marshall is a ceramicist and Karp a painter. But both men evince a strong interest in texture and the surface quality of the finished piece. Marshall’s asymmetrical forms are fueled by his interest in liminal states; his glossy wedges of color appear to emerge from a primordial well, still dripping with the stuff of creation. Karp’s canvases are crowded with gem-like, multi-colored orbs. Their surfaces are stippled and flecked with regular patterns that give them weight and depth in the picture plane.Eschewing a brush in favor of the paint tube as mark-maker, Robert Sagerman builds monochromatic pools of pigment and shape out of carefully measured dabs of paint. His process requires him to count each dollop of paint; it’s a form of meditation through counting derived from Judaism’s kabbalastic tradition. The total number of paint dabs gives each finished piece its title, but these numbers also measure his dedication in pursuit of the divine.For his eighth solo exhibition at Bruno David Gallery, Carmon Colangelo gathered the off-cuts and scraps produced during the manufacture of laser-cut architectural models. These bits were then inked and used to print on canvas and paper. The process is inspired by the idea of connectivity and chance, and by Colangelo’s own interest in the studio as a place for playful exploration. The installation comprises prints, drawings and mixed media work that reflect this spirit.New York artist Ajay Kurian returns to White Flag Projects for a new solo exhibition of sculpture. Kurian’s work in The Childhood of Jesus combines pop culture with a strong sense of craftsmanship. Comfort Zone #2 (Enlightenment) depicts a space-age bachelor pad decorated with miniature paintings, delicate lighting accents and a bespoke, four-armed White Power Ranger seated in the lotus position on a floating red cushion. Pink moss, toy dragon balls and custom M&Ms surround the meditating figure, blending East and West in sly fashion.