WILSHIRE CENTER

Leonard Skuro’s show of geometric metal sculpture and more organic pieces made of slate and twigs would signal a new direction if it weren’t so set in formulas. Though Skuro has branched out, literally, from formally crafting man-made material, he quickly turns natural found objects into design elements. When he sets saw-toothed, perforated slabs of slate on “legs” of branches, it seems a calculated move to align himself with stylish figurative expression. Then he proceeds as usual, creating endless variations.

Skuro is a consummate craftsman and a smart designer who never seems to figure out what to do or say with his skill. Though the look of his work changes, the emphasis is always on materials and techniques. He appears to be a carry-over from the ‘60s, with its crafts explosion and fascination with physical components.

The layered steel, brass and lacquer wall pieces in this show are flamboyant grids. Using diagonal stripes and triangular patterns, they often allude to royalty through bright gold borders topped by “crowns.” These slick metal works might look terrific in a corporate lobby, but in a gallery they seem overdressed and superficial. The slate and twig pieces are neither better nor worse, just different manifestations of a sensibility that ranks form above content, surface above substance. (Ovsey Gallery, 126 N. La Brea Ave., to Feb. 7.)