Wilshire Center

Magical forms whoosh and whirl through the ether of pastel drawings by Christophe Boutin, a French artist who draws with the touch of an alchemist. Employing a rich palette built around rust, gold, sienna and black, Boutin fashions simple compositions involving organic and mechanical forms floating in shimmering fields seemingly charged with magical energy. Glittering with the quality of illuminated manuscripts, these images harbor something dark and brooding a la Kiefer, something ancient and distinctly European.

Also on view are six bronze sculptural works by Isaac Witkin, a New York artist at mid-career. The titles of Witkin’s work say it all: “Inferno,” “Firebird,” “Tempest Ami.” This is visceral, wildly expressionistic work that honors the conventional ideals that have governed abstract sculpture for most of this century. (Jan Turner Gallery, 8000 Melrose Ave., to Jan. 7.)