The title of Thomas Scheibetz's solo show at Sprüth Magers, Casa Amalia Index , refers to the "emotional architecture" of Mexican architect Agustín Hernandez and his representative building, the Casa Amalia. However, Scheibitz's two- and three-dimensional works eschew literal illustrations of this utopian designer's philosophy. Using pure geometry and flattened color, they allude to a generic idea of residential structure, but as in much of Scheibetz's work, there is no direct connection between title and substance. Abstract paintings depict light filtering through orthogonal spaces created by patchworks of contrasting colors, while sculptures made out of simple geometric shapes suggest fitting maquettes for utopian dwellings, and a wall-mounted bas-relief offers a meditation on the boundary between painting and sculpture, architecture and fine arts.

-JK