La Cienega Area

Jan Taylor affixes large rectangular shapes of lead to white or black painted linen in a show of solemn abstractions. The silvery shapes occasionally catch the light and throw off iridescent reflections, but more often they resemble inscrutable windows that neither reveal an interior nor mirror exterior appearances. Lead seems to be in vogue these days as a material of inherent mystical properties, but its magic is limited in this incarnation. Taylor’s paintings simply present themselves as contemplative objects, slightly shifting their balance from one work to another but never effecting a compelling visual tension. Banking on graphic impact and--conversely--the subtleties of a woven surface and a severely restricted palette, this is respectable work that settles into memory as an academic exercise.

Patrick Hogan’s concurrent show consists of watercolors, ink drawings, paintings in gouache and acrylic on board and gouache and mixed-media works on paper--a mixed bag, but most pieces share a fascination with delicate, webbed layers or disassembling structures. With their crystalline networks, chains of circles and jewel-like facets, Hogan’s abstractions often allude to nature; we might be peering into a microscope or through a thicket, but too often the view is disappointing, repetitive design. Small works on paper reminiscent of Hogan’s rope paintings have much more conviction. Here he fills space with muscular tension as central shapes radiate and explode against edges. (Marc Richards gallery, 8747 Melrose Ave., to March 19.)