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Art that goes bump in the night?

Thursday Oct 21, 2004.     By Benjamin Zoltak

Arts + Words Feed

Sure you can go to a plain ol' costume party this Halloween, but you can bet your bottom dollar you won’t find better quality get-ups anywhere than at a gallery soiree. ARC Gallery and Ba Studios invite you to come scare with the spookiest of ‘em at their costume parties. But wait, as always, there’s more...

ARC Gallery
“Costume Party at Art To Fear Exhibition”
costume party Oct. 29; 6-11 p.m.; through Oct. 30

Rating: BOTH EARS “{O}”

Hours:: noon-6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; noon-4 p.m. Sunday

Artist-made masks for sale as a fundraiser, a DJ, refreshments and prizes for best costume: need we say more? Oh yeah, there’s also an exhibition of eerie, fearful and other assorted spooky art. This internationally recognized alternative space is run by 20 professional women artists and is so proud of its previous parties that you can compare what you might be up against in the archive on its Web site. Devils seem to be the staple.

Ba Studio Arts
“Costume Party at Connections to My Soul Exhibition”
costume party Oct. 31; noon-5 p.m.; through Oct. 31

Rating: BOTH EARS “{O}”

Ending its season with a bloody Sunday afternoon costume party, Ba Studio invites you to dress up as your favorite artist and join them for a last perusal. Prints by the recently deceased Eugene Pine will be for sale; the proceeds will go to a memorial fund in the artist’s name. Eugene Pine drew his inspiration from his Native American tribal heritage, creating vivid, warm and spiritual work using the human form and organic environments.

Xyloform
“Alternate Realities”
Xyloform.com; Daviddillengerart.com
through Nov. 28

Rating: ONE EAR “O}”

Hours:: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday

Crossover spaces look especially appealing when whatever “other” items they have for sale are also creative. Such is the case with Xyloform, which is also a sleek furnishings gallery. The paintings of David Dillenger blend well will the utilitarian surroundings. His paintings drop icons and carry instead a weight of blended textures and wispy, smoky wafts of color. Dillenger also identifies his own myth in that of a recurring figure sometimes found in his paintings. A small elfish figure known as “Maymaygwayshi,” found in the Ojibwa culture of Ontario, appears in his paintings on occasion.

Rushmore
“Creatures”
through Nov. 20

Rating: ONE EAR “O}”

Hours:: 5:30-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5:30-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Everybody loves creatures of all shapes and sizes. But are these creatures the type that will haunt you? Andrew Rottner exhibits his oil paintings while peer Niki Smith throws us her mixed media brew of photography, latex, pastels, charcoal, acrylic, pencil and, yes, fire. Speaking of flames, don’t forget to try a plateful of Rushmore’s demonically delicious smoked macaroni while enjoying the flames.

Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art
“Gene[sis]: Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics”
through Nov.28

Rating: NO EARS “O”

Hours:: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; noon-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

We have seen the future and he is Frankenstein. Explore modern day, true-to-life, creepy tales of gene ownership, permeable species boundaries, changing personal privacy and genomic human nature. See work by 20 artists in media ranging from illuminated installations to coffee cups. Says curator Robin Held of the exhibition, “‘Gene(sis)’ interweaves humorous commentary, theatrical installations, documentary images and pseudo (or actual) scientific laboratory situations, elucidating certain technical advances for a lay audience. It exploits the power of contemporary art to provoke, to question and to articulate new paradigms, providing conditions necessary for a deeper understanding and a fuller discussion of genomic issues." It’s not your fault, the DNA made you do it.

Thomas McCormick Gallery
“Wendy Alexander New Work”
opening reception Oct. 29; 5-8 p.m.; through Dec. 4

Rating: “O}”

Hours:: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday

If spooks and goblins aren’t your thing, this more earthly show may be for you. Los Angeles-based painter Wendy Alexander showcases her newest works in her first solo show at McCormick. Her paintings exude bold energetic colors and her patterned repetition is sure to mesmerize your visual appetite even without the tricks and treats.