PAINTINGS

MACHINE AGE Robert Cottingham has painted a range of everyday objects — railway cars, letters of the alphabet, cameras, typewriters, and storefronts among them. In his latest exhibit, “Components,” he turns his brush to machine parts. Mr. Cottingham first stumbled onto the idea in 1994, when he came upon a book of mechanical drawings at a library sale. The same year, he began making his own preliminary drawings, later painting from those studies. Many of those colorful works are in the show, including “Eighteen Components” (2006), right, which seem to recall Lego building blocks. Through Saturday, March 1, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Forum Gallery, 745 Fifth Ave., between 57th and 58th streets, 212-355-4545, free.

ART

BIG LOVE An artist based in Hangzhou, China, Chen Xiaoyun, presents “Love You, Big Boss,” his first New York exhibit. The show comprises three videos and four large-scale photographs depicting staged scenes of everyday life. The allegorical images are meant to confront America’s role as superpower and how it is perceived abroad. Through Sunday, March 30, Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Project Gallery, 37 W. 57th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 3rd floor, 212-688-1585, free.

INTO THE WILD An Israeli-born painter who lives and works in New York, Yigal Ozeri, depends on his model and muse, Priscilla, for the subject matter of his paintings. In his latest exhibit, “Genesis,” Mr. Ozeri places Priscilla in natural — but otherworldly — environments, depicting her lying down in a forest or resting comfortably on dried vines. Her blond locks appear to blend into the verdant background. Through Saturday, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Mike Weiss Gallery, 520 W. 24th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-691-6899, free.

THE BEAT GOES ON “Rub Out The Word,” an exhibit of artwork by beat writer William Burroughs, has its opening on Friday. In addition to writing, Burroughs was a prolific visual artist. Between 1982 and 1995, he spent hours each day drawing and painting. The canvasses of his “shotgun paintings,” which are among the pieces on show, bear actual bullet hole markings — the result of Burroughs’s wielding a shotgun to give the artworks that indescribable raw texture. Through Saturday, March 29, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Stellan Holm Gallery, 524 W. 24th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-627-7444, free.

HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK For the exhibit “Class Pictures,” photographer Dawoud Bey visited high schools in New York, Detroit, Orlando, and other cities. He spent between three and four weeks at each school making oversize formal portraits of young people who represent the country’s full economic, racial, and social spectrum. But more than that, Mr. Bey learned that his subjects defied the easy stereotypes often ascribed to American youth culture. Through Thursday, February 28, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Aperture Gallery, 547 W. 27th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-505-5555, free.

DESIGN

WORLD UP CLOSE The Pratt Manhattan Gallery at the campus of the Pratt Institute presents “My World,” an exhibit of works by seven contemporary British designers. “My World” focuses on the growing use of new technologies and a handcrafted sensibility among some designers in creating everyday objects. The selected works reflect what the designers perceive as the desire for a stamp of personal identity or character in the things that populate daily life — from mattresses to standing lamps. Highlights include Allison Willoughby’s installation “One” and “10 Skirts,” a collection of sizeless circle skirts. Through Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Pratt Manhattan Gallery, 144 W. 14th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-647-7778, free.

FAMILY

THE PLANT DOCTOR In “The Life and Work of George Washington Carver,” the New York Botanical Garden celebrates the work of this botanist who, in the 1800s, was one of a relative few black Americans to achieve prominence for his work. After cotton crops were devastated by disease, Carver taught former slaves how to plant alternative crops, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. He also created the Jesup Agricultural Wagon, a mobile school manned by Tuskegee University faculty who set out to educate farmers. The botanical garden is housing a re-creation of the wagon, as well as an opportunity for children to examine and diagnose sick plants. Through Friday, 1:30–4:30 p.m., NYBG, 2466 Arthur Ave. at 200th Street and Kazimiroff Boulevard, the Bronx, 718-817-8700, $13 general, $11 students and seniors, $5 children (2–12 years), free for children under 2 and members.

MUSIC

RAP, MEET ROCK The Brooklyn venue Studio B celebrates the launch of its Web site with a genre-bending musical lineup. The unofficial leader of the Staten Island-based rap super-group Wu-Tang Clan, RZA (pronounced “ri-zah,” born Robert Diggs), headlines a concert featuring four indie-rock bands. Murder Mystery Group, Blood Red Sun, Paul Holmes and the Great Depression, and the Stationary Set share the bill with glamhop band Team Facelift. The Wu-Tang Clan’s latest album, featuring vocals and production by RZA, was released to strong reviews in late 2007. Friday, 10 p.m., Studio B, 259 Banker St., between Meserol and Calyer streets, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 718-389-1880, free.

SOUND CHECK In 1988, Bobby McFerrin’s Grammy Award-winning “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” became the first a cappella song to reach the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The tune spawned a catchphrase that has earned its placeinthe’80spopculturecanon, but also demonstrated the leaps the human voice could make. As part of Carnegie Hall’s “Around the Globe” series, Mr. McFerrin performs recent music. He is joined by acclaimed bluegrass vocalist Alison Krauss and double bassist Edgar Meyer. Tonight, 8 p.m., Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium, 881 Seventh Ave. at 57th Street, 212-247-7800, $23–$76.

FINDING TRUE LOVE In the 1980s, singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston began producing lo-fi cassette recordings of his music at home. His work eventually made him a favorite of the alternative music scene in the 1990s, drawing the attention of such artists as Kurt Cobain and members of Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo. A documentary focusing on Mr. Johnston, produced by a Dutch broadcasting station, only heightened his profile. Now, having weathered the ups and downs of the music industry and battling manic depression, the musician returns to the stage, performing selections from his album, “Welcome to My World,” and other tunes. Tonight, 9 p.m., Highline Ballroom, 431 W. 16th St. at Tenth Avenue, 212-414-5994, $20.

PIANO MAN Pianist Markus Groh, who has garnered praise for his imaginative interpretations of Liszt, was the first German musician to win the Queen Elizabeth International Music Competition of Belgium. During a solo concert, he performs Erwin Schulhoff’s “Five Études de Jazz,” Ginastera’s Sonata No. 1, Op. 22, and Liszt’s Sonata in B minor. Sunday, 5 p.m., Frick Collection, 1 E. 70th St. at Fifth Avenue, 212-547-0715, $25.

THEATER

JOINING THE CIRCUS Cirque Le Masque brings its touring show, “Carnivale,” to the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. “Carnivale” tells the story of a female tourist who dreams of becoming a performer or showgirl in Brazil. Her wish is granted — she is swept into the colorful world of the pre-Lenten Carnivale season. A European-style circus troupe based in East Farmingdale, N.Y., Cirque Le Masque combines theater with traditional circus fare, including jugglers, aerialists, and contortionists. Sunday, 2 p.m., Brooklyn College, Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Whitman Theatre, 2900 Campus Rd. at Hillel Place, 718-951-4500, $20–$35, reduced admission for children 18 and under.

ELECTION NIGHT In David Mamet’s new political farce, “November,” actor Nathan Lane plays a corrupt president facing long odds of reelection. He must rely on his lawyer, played by Dylan Baker, and his trusted speechwriter, played by Laurie Metcalf, to navigate a world of crooked officials and special-interest groups, which include the manufacturers of turkey by-products. The incumbent contends with such issues as gay marriage, dubious pardons, and questionable campaign contributions as he tries to maintain his grasp on the highest office. Joe Mantello directs the comedy. Tuesday–Saturday, 8 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday, 2 p.m., ongoing, Ethel Barrymore Theater, 243 W. 47th St. between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, 212-239-6200, $46.50–$99.50.

PHOTOGRAPHY

PUSHING BOUNDARIES The second of four exhibits showcasing the photography of graduating seniors enrolled at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts has its opening today. Thirteen student artists are featured in this installment, including Jacqueline Bovaird, whose works document her trips to India and Bhutan; Bonnie Briant, who embellishes her images with text, and Robert Sukrachand, who photographed Jackson Heights, Queens, exposing the juxtaposition of homelessness and addiction with the bustling life of 74th Street. Other highlights include an untitled work (2007), above, by Monique Jaques, from her collection “Transient Boundaries,” which reflects how deeply connected travel is to her photography. Opens today, through Saturday, March 15, Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Saturday, noon–5 p.m., NYU, Gulf + Western Gallery and the 8th Floor Gallery, 721 Broadway at Waverly Place, 212-998-1930, free.

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