Secret Garden

Bizarre plant forms have take over the Upstairs Gallery of Natalie’s Fine Threads, in the shape of Cheryl Ann Thomas’ ceramic sculptures. We are tempted to read these writhing, spiraling shapes as coming from another plane or planet--or possibly a spinoff of Dr. Suess’ private fantasy world.

Wherever they come from, seeing a group of Thomas’ works in a single, small space adds to their charm. The conical forms she works with appear whimsical at first, but her art also has a serious side.

A suggestion of social order and ritual comes through in works like “The Young Die Good,” with these creatures/plantlife placed magnetically around a small central pool. In “Compline,” a series of these tall, twisted spires is gathered in a tableau with a midnight sun in the background.

Sometimes the art depicts different layers of life forms. In “Interior Life,” an outer casing is broken open to reveal a flower within its protective embrace.

What Thomas achieves with this sculptural series is a sense of ambiguous tale spinning. We are left to wonder about the origin of what we are looking at, whether a fantastical undersea garden or something less earthly. But the pieces also tell a story. They paint a picture of a secret world of the artist’s concoction.

Artful Pairing: Making art is often a solitary endeavor, especially compared to the real-time arts of film and music. Consider, however, the case of Leslie Bernsen and Connie Tunick. While pursuing their own work apart from each other, they formed a studio called A Double Vision in Newbury Park a couple of years ago, and show some of their wares in the Upstairs Gallery.

The result: mixed media pieces in which the mixing involves not only the methods but the creative parties responsible. “Celestial Progression” is a collaborative effort in which semi-abstract imagery, recurring forms and a restrained palette conspire toward a subtle and evocative visual wash.

Separately, the artists veer in personal directions, but these seem to collide and collude in their collaborative art. Like Thomas, Tunick takes an interest in depicting altered plant life, veering gently to the left of floral painting conventions. “Lotus Buds” and “Descanso Garden” are hazy and impressionistic flower scenes, with more crisply detailed images pasted onto the surface, for contrast.

Bernsen, for her part, shows collage images of chic, funky urban settings, such as motels, Moose lodges and steakhouses. Shadowy figures filter through the images, a lurking human presence of sorts. Bits of corrugated cardboard add atmospheric texture to the reconstructed urban scenes.

Apart, the artists are distinctive entities. Together, they meet on some neutral, more abstract ground. They seem to get along famously.

DETAILS

Sculptures by Cheryl Ann Thomas and mixed media work by Leslie Bernsen and Connie Tunick, through Oct. 21 at Natalie’s Fine Threads Upstairs Gallery, 596 Main St. in Ventura. Gallery hours: 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Tues.-Sat.; 643-8854.

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Josef Woodard, who writes about art and music, can be reached by e-mail at joeinfo@aol.com.