GALLERIES

Reviews by David Pagel (D.P.). Compiled by Grace Krilanovich.

Critics’ Choices

Nathaniel de Large: at large De Large is a light-handed junk-picker whose search for quirky stuff is only the beginning of an out-of-step quest to refashion the world into a playground for the imagination. The L.A. artist gets viewers to experience the world as a loopy adventure, a meandering journey filled with serendipitous twists and wonderful turns that keep us on our toes, almost dancing. Cirrus Gallery, 542 S. Alameda St., L.A. Tue.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; ends Jan. 30. (213) 680-3473.

Jeff Koons: New Paintings Andy Warhol was fascinated by boredom for two perfectly good reasons: It allowed him to see things he otherwise would have missed, and it meant that things were going pretty well -- that life’s daily dramas were not too upsetting. Koons’ new paintings flesh out both aspects of Warhol’s love affair with boredom. They reveal his dedication to the production of handmade reproductions: super-realistic depictions of works that look as if they are mass-produced. They are the best copies money can buy Gagosian Gallery, 456 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills. Tue.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. ; ends Sat. (310) 271-9400.

Kristen Morgin: Cellos Melancholy does not merely waft into the atmosphere from Morgin’s elaborately crafted clay, wire and wood sculptures. It pours forth in torrents, filling the gallery with sadness that it is palpable and almost unbearable. And that’s just the beginning. The powerful first impression made by these loaded works from 2001 gives way to less obvious, more nuanced emotions. They simmer slowly and resonate deeply. All of Morgin’s sculptures appear to have endured well beyond their best years, persisting in the face of great difficulty and reconciling themselves to diminished expectations. Marc Selwyn Fine Art, 6222 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 101, L.A. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; ends Jan. 23. (323) 933-9911.

Continuing

Group Show: The Newest The group show is a sampler of an exhibition that abandons logic for pleasure, leaving viewers free to weave whatever connections they want among its intriguing works. Jeff Ono’s freestanding abstraction plays fast and loose with the relationship between pedestals and sculptures, reversing roles and providing contrasts in ways that make you think it’s goofing off. That’s what the works by the other artists do too, especially Matt Connors’ casually elegant oil on canvas; Dennis Koch’s abstract drawing; and Elad Lassry’s pair of small photographs. Ben Reyer’s pair of collages and Matthew Grover’s C-print lack the open-endedness of the other works. But these inconsistencies somehow add to the show’s easy-going serendipity. Phil, 4918 York Blvd., L.A. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.; ends Sat. (213) 280-7340.