GALLERIES

Reviews by David Pagel (D.P.) and Leah Ollman (L.O.). Compiled by Grace Krilanovich.

Critics’ Choices

Nathan Redwood: Altered Atmospheres Everything is at loose ends in Redwood’s paintings except for the artist’s own sturdy and enthralling talent. The L.A. painter extracts performances from pigment that are vigorous, persuasive, captivating. His colossal snaky brushstrokes wind across the canvas and double back upon themselves like the labyrinthine path of intestines. Redwood’s world churns with complexity. Playfulness and provocation chase each other’s tails (L.O.). Michael Kohn Gallery, 8071 Beverly Blvd., L.A. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; ends May 8. (323) 658-8088.

Continuing

Ernesto Caivano: Relics Where . . . Combining the crisp precision of architectural diagrams with the gentle whimsy of romantic daydreams, Caivano’s drawings and collages glimpse a world mellowed by melancholy yet suffused with a fondness for the textures and rhythms that give life’s little pleasures their resonance. Neither giving too much away nor holding anything back, his rich little works strike just the right note (D.P.). Richard Heller Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; ends Sat. (310) 453-9191.

Albert Contreras The artist’s exuberant works mash painting and language into a rich mix that leaves neither the same and both better for it. In terms of materials, Contreras is anything but stingy, piling his specially mixed acrylics on wood panels the same way my 3-year-old puts cream cheese and jelly on a bagel: until both jars are empty. In terms of language, Contreras is a less-is-more Minimalist. His “X” paintings make Samuel Beckett look verbose and Georges Perec seem undisciplined (D.P.). Peter Mendenhall Gallery, 6150 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; ends May 1. (323) 936-0061.

Liz Craft: Death of a Clown Craft’s new sculptures slam together the impersonal nature of industrial production with the touchy-feely uniqueness of specially made treasures. It is a volatile cocktail in which it’s hard to tell the difference between public and private, sincerity and sarcasm, intimacy and anonymity. The more time you spend at it, the stranger it gets, taking your imagination on a Surreal trip that melds Egyptian sarcophagi, William Morris décor, grandmotherly crafts and Jonathan Borofsky high jinx. All the while, you never leave Craft’s astute loopiness behind (D.P.). Patrick Painter - West Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., Unit B2, Santa Monica. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; ends May 1. (310) 264-5988.

Andreas Gursky The grandiose differs from the grand in its need to make a spectacular impression. The German photographer has been making grandiose art for years, and his most recent work inaugurates the newly expanded Gagosian Gallery with predictable pomposity. Each of the five huge pictures in the “Ocean” series is made of combined satellite images of water and land masses. Detachment is common to Gursky’s work, but even more extreme in these photographs. In spite of their stunning size and the amazing technical engineering that produced them, they feel bland (L.O.). Gagosian Gallery, 456 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; ends May 1. (310) 271-9400.

Channa Horwitz: Sequences & Systems This terrific two-part show skims across 40 years of visual investigation by the L.A. artist Horwitz has developed multiple methods of articulating space, typically in ink on paper, using the orderly rigor of predetermined systems. Often the austerity of those systems gives way to sensual ebullience, and the images, however prescribed, feel immediate and fresh (L.O.). SolwayJones, 990 N. Hill St. #180, Los Angeles; kunsthalle L.A., 932 Chung King Road, Los Angeles. L.A. Wed.-Sat, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun. noon-6 p.m.; ends next Sun. (323) 223-0224.

Stanya Kahn: “It’s Cool, I’m Good” Three potent videos by Kahn deliver more tragedy and comedy than can be seen in most multiplexes on any given day. Each of its 30- to 40-minute videos is its own riveting journey into the suffering and bravery of three unsentimental women. “It’s Cool, I’m Good” steals the show. Projected on a wall in a large, darkened gallery, it mixes humor and horror with the best of them, blending beauty and banality like nobody’s business. “Sandra” and “Kathy,” are more straightforward, but the documentary format does not give Kahn enough room to strut her idiosyncratic stuff (D.P.). Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, 5795 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and by appointment.; ends Sat. (323) 933-2117.

Dennis Oppenheim: Early Works The exhibition takes visitors back to the early 1970s, when art was an open-ended experiment capable of just about anything and, at the same time, nothing special, just another part of life’s unpredictable thrills and pitfalls, not to mention its inescapable freedom. A sense of Everyman accessibility and see-for-yourself inquisitiveness is palpable in this optimistic era of heady integrity, when curiosity and communication were what art was all about, and showing off, by showing others up, had not yet become a profitable entertainment or national pastime (D.P.). Thomas Solomon Gallery, 427 Bernard St., L.A . Wed.-Sat., noon-6 p.m.; ends May 1. (323) 275-1687.

William Wegman: Some Tricks Wegman’s photographs raise great questions about truth, deception and storytelling, particularly as they relate to art and photography, trust and gullibility, knowledge and pleasure. Even better, the selective survey of 10 small black-and-white prints from the early 1970s and six large works from 2004-08 answers these questions with such playful wit that it’s hard not to fall in love with the way they make amazement seem to be the point of it all, the best part of life and a big part of art’s job description (D.P.). Marc Selwyn Fine Art, 6222 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 101, L.A. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; ends Sat. (323) 933-9911.