Fill October's final full weekend with art. As fall trickles into town in fits and starts, decorate your life at these galleries. And for once, Friday is the stronger night to hit the galleries, although there will be compelling work to see Saturday as well.
Ella Kruglyanskaya's Grafika Much of Latvian-born artist Ella Kruglyanskaya's work turns an eye on the female form. In Grafika, both her large and small-scale pieces present a caricatured look at the depiction of the body in art. She plays with both bold color and simple sketching for a varied approach on the sexuality of the body, at once cartoonish and serious. See the work in its opening reception at the Power Station (3816 Commerce St.) from 6-8 p.m. Friday. More information at powerstationdallas.com.
self-published at Cohn Drennan Contemporary Everybody has that friend who self published their novel and is begging you to stop by the Amazon page and give it a sparkling review. The idea of self-publishing can earn sneers from the people who believe in the value of the backing of a publishing house. But to present your work to the world with just your name tied to it can be daunting and requires a great deal of vulnerability as you in some ways are publishing a piece of yourself. It's the semantics that caught the attention of Lanny Quarles in the curation of self-published, the exhibition opening at Cohn Drennan Contemporary (4118 Commerce St.). Quarles invited a group of artists to display work based on the theme. See it during the opening reception from 6-9 p.m. Friday. More information at cohndrennancontemporary.com.
Neil Raitt's Cabinectomy Goss Michael Foundation's artist in residence, Neil Raitt, found inspiration for his newest series of work, in, of all places, The Joy of Painting, a television program by Bob Ross. (The programs are actually pretty mesmerizing for kitschy television.) Raitt's work for this series playfully teases the series, linking directly to Ross' instruction to "do a little cabinectomy here." You'll see paintings that blend tranquil cabin scenes with a more digital language. He's also created "a dynamic french screen made of Coloradan pine acting to obscure, reveal, and support the paintings, as well as an enlarged "Magic Tree" slumped dolefully against real pine emitting a fresh pine scent." It will be on display alongside the work of the gallery's current (FEATURE) artist, Michelle Rawlings. Opening reception is 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Goss Michael Foundation (1405 Turtle Creek Blvd.). More information at gossmichaelfoundation.org.
Systema at Zhulong Gallery Since its opening earlier this year, we've been endlessly impressed with the display of art at Zhulong Gallery. This gallery has brought the neighborhood its first tastes of new-media art from across the globe. The newest show, Systema, takes an interest in the uses of systems in various realms of human life from the economy to communication. Ranging from Berlin artist Patricia Reed to Chicago-based Hiba Ali, the show promises a diverse exploration of how we build contemporary life. See it on opening day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Zhulong Gallery (1302 Dragon St.) or through November 29. More information at zhulonggallery.com.
Sightings: Anna Bella Papp The minimalism of Anna Bella Papp's clay sculptures force the viewer up close. It's as though she's invited onlookers into an intimate moment with the art. For the tiny amount of space they actually inhabit, they imply much larger ideas. The Nasher Sculpture Center gives Papp her first museum exhibition as part of its small-scale Sightings series. See her work alongside the midcareer retrospective of Thomas Heatherwick in the main galleries, and marvel in the different ways sculpture interacts with architecture. Sightings: Anna Bella Papp opens to the public at 11 a.m. Saturday. The exhibition remains on display at the Nasher (2001 Flora St.) through January 18, 2015. Entry to the museum is $10. More information at nashersculpturecenter.org.
