You Can Come to The Mountain

Most of the time, abstract concepts are better off staying that way, too easily ruined by attempts to put them in worldly terms. Think of the lion in The Wizard of Oz who wants courage–which I always imagined looks brown and rumpled, maybe like a pile of old cabbage–but in the movie gets some medal to pin directly through his chest. Jill Foley’s installation at the Conduit Gallery, called The Mountain, is the rare successful attempt to translate the completely abstract–nothing short of her consciousness–into something real. So real, in fact, you can walk through it a room at a time, puzzling over objects on the walls and visiting with puppets in Christmas sweaters. Thursday nights, poetry slams and other happenings help make The Mountain even more real. Alongside Foley’s work, painter Steven Miller’s Fukurama showcases Japan-inspired attention to serene detail in moments of quiet tension, while Dan McPharlin’s series of miniature analog synthesizers injects an element of quasi-science to the business of crafting reality. Foley, Miller and McPharlin’s work is on display at Conduit Gallery through October 10 at 1626 C Hi Line Drive, Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Thursday night’s happening is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.) Call 214-939-0064 for details or visit conduitgallery.com.

Tuesdays-Saturdays. Starts: Sept. 12. Continues through Oct. 10, 2009