By: Adam Lindemann
As 2011 grinds to a halt, it's time again for the ol' "top of the pops" list. Here are five great shows, some special mentions and my personal New Year's resolution, which I hope you will read while drinking a tall glass of eggnog.
1. David Hammons at L&M Arts
Back in February, I wrote that Mr. Hammons's exhibition was an instant contender for best of the year, and over the past 11 months no other gallery show could catch him. The idea of "homeless" paintings - canvases wrapped in tattered tarps and garbage bags - being offered to wealthy collectors in L&M's Upper East Side townhouse turned out to be the perfect metaphor for all the conflict of the moment. The show was misunderstood by some, but was nevertheless an instant hit, and the biggest piece in it now hangs at MoMA. Mr. Hammons is often referred to as the leading African-American artist of our time, and we need to drop that qualifier: Mr. Hammons is simply one of our best.