Hollywood

L.A. collagist Deborah F. Lawrence’s new work takes us on a tour through the labyrinthine maze of her subconscious. Unfortunately, the guide who escorts us on this baffling stroll offers little explanation for the wild sights we see along the way. This is reportedly an autobiographical body of work, but Lawrence sure plays it close to the vest--you need a decoding ring to decipher the meaning behind these nonsensical images. Keen on juxtaposing famous figures from different centuries--George Washington, Barbie the Doll, Jesus Christ--Lawrence appears to have been heavily influenced by the ideas of Joseph Campbell. Mythical figures--tricksters, harlots, fertility goddesses--abound, all of whom are tossed into a roiling human stew worthy of Hieronymous Bosch.

Lawrence’s technique is as convoluted as the content of her work; she paints on the surface of plexiglass, while collaging images to the underside. Her sensibility seems to be that of an illustrator rather than a painter, and her work has the kind of ironic stylishness typical of graphics that appear in Esquire magazine. Lawrence might consider getting into that line of work since her craftsmanship is not quite up to snuff and the work reproduces better than it actually looks. However, the central failing in Lawrence’s work is the fact that it’s so self-referential that looking at it is like having to listen to someone’s laboriously detailed description of a dream they had.

Also on view is a survey of five years of work by photographer Ani Gonzalez-Rivera. The earliest work on view--dark, moody images created by manipulating the negative--is from a series titled “Dance of Death” which was inspired by a book on death by Hans Holbein. From there, Gonzalez-Rivera continued to brood on mortality in a series called “Memento Mori.” His new series, titled “Papyrus” suggests that the artist is ready to rejoin the living. Mixed media pieces that incorporate newsprint, oil on wood, charcoal paper, collage and photography, the work is now confident enough to soften that depressed, adolescent pout a bit. (Koslow Rayl Gallery, 2538 W. 7th St., to Dec. 3.)