In the galleries: Revisiting, reconsidering and urban alienation

Collective

Large themeless shows of a gallery’s artists can be disjointed or dull, but the show at Latin American Contemporary Art Projects is anything but.

This lively exhibition includes paintings, drawings and other works by artists who have exhibited there since it opened in 2013.

Standouts include a series tiny gouaches on paper by Mexican artist Roberto Marquez, held over from the previous show; surrealist paintings by Vincente Hernandez of Cuba; and fanciful acrylic and collage works by Cristina Toro of Puerto Rico.

Many of the pieces have been exhibited here before, so gallery regulars may not find a lot of surprises in “Collective.” But if you need an introduction to one of Charlotte’s best galleries, this is a great opportunity.

Intersections

In this exhibition, Isaac Payne continues his exploration of urban alienation.

Payne’s meticulously rendered paintings are filled with bridges, underpasses and isolated buildings. Even in the paintings that are populated, people walk past and around each other, occupying spaces without sharing them.

Payne’s collaged paintings are usually executed in muted colors. But several of these new works feature brilliant skies, as if his time in North Carolina – he’s lived here since 2006 – is beginning to affect into his work.

In “Blue Skies,” an almost impossibly cheery sky does not result in a happy scene, but instead accentuates the emptiness of the street below. It is a shimmering depiction of a bleak landscape.

Cash Crop

If you missed Stephen Hayes’ powerful exhibition when it was at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Art + Culture, here’s another chance to see it. As I wrote in the Feb. 19, 2012, Observer, “This ambitious project … combines a sweeping array of materials and techniques with a muted palette to depict the suffering and humiliation of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. By extension, it also addresses the human toll resulting from our current dependence on sweatshop labor.”

SOCO Gallery opens

Chandra Johnson’s Southern Comfort (SOCO) Gallery opens May 6, with a 5-8 p.m. reception for “A Fluid Journey.” An exhibition of photographs by Will Adler, LeRoy “Granny” Grannis, Xavier Guardans, Mona Kuhn, Karine Laval and Ken Van Sickle, it examines aspects of water and leisure, including surfing.

SOCO Gallery, in a renovated bungalow at 421 Providence Road, is a contemporary art gallery specializing in photography.

This story was originally published April 23, 2015 at 1:31 PM with the headline "In the galleries: Revisiting, reconsidering and urban alienation."