Hey, Ladies!

Karen Carson, Horse Power II (detail) (2006)A similarly humanist tone seems to have also intruded on the polystyrene perfection of Shirley Tse’s plastic fantastic artistic vision in her new exhibit at Shoshana Wayne Gallery opening Saturday. Known for her sprawling and innovative installations of intricately carved Styrofoam, Tse has incorporated organic materials into her work for the first time, combining such disparate elements as a carved jade heart and “factory rejected fiberglass reinforced resin machine mounts” from a military submersible in the tender, disturbing assemblage Sink Like a Submarine, in which a human heart surrounded by a protective cage of jungle foliage bears an unmistakable resemblance to a booby-trap land mine. Other works reference the little-known role of the loom in the history of artificial intelligence, squarely placing the iconic feminist craft archetype at the center of the military-information complex.

The fact that this column features only female artists (oops! plus Sal) is entirely accidental. The most compelling shows around just happen to have been created by individual women artists. Without a doubt the feminist movement has made this scenario possible. But without creative individuals who are willing to face and negotiate the complicated contingencies of the human condition alone, there is no doubt. That’s the difference between art and ideology — art gives you the benefit of the doubt.

MARNIE WEBER: Sing Me a Western Song | Patrick Painter, Bergamot Station A8 and B2 | Through May 26

KAREN CARSON: Ride the Wind (Action Paintings) | Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Bergamot Station B4 | Through May 26

SHIRLEY TSE | Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Bergamot Station B1 | May 5 through June 30

All at Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica