La Cienega Area

Patrick Morrison has apparently fallen under the spell of a clutch of bric-a-brac. A kitschy dancer statue, a gaping green dolphin, a parasol, a hanging green jacket and a pair of mariachis make numerous repeat appearances in some rather self-consciously retro, bohemian-artist’s-life paintings.

The brushwork in these works varies from a loose approach, in which a reflection becomes a vague scribble, to a tighter, soft-edged style reminiscent of ‘30s realism. Other subjects include a nude sitting decoratively on a yellow sofa, a lady from the era of significant hats standing on a maroon carpet and a pair of Auntie Mame-ish leopard shoes on a stairway.

Better than these images are ones that capitalize on the geometric shapes of contemporary office buildings. And better still is a small painting (it also comes in a too-large size) of a bentwood chair interrogated by a pair of pale yellow lights sending an intense pinkish-green glow skittering down a wall. (Gallery 454 North, 454 N. Robertson Blvd., to Jan. 28.)