“Last Resort” by Mark Mann at Taylor De Cordoba

Mann takes vintage post cards and digitally alters them to create photographs that look like off-kilter vacation souvenirs. At times, he pastes the same figure over and over, creating a comical repetition, and at other times, the end result is a more disturbing, if not altogether more realistic, representation of a family trip. Many depict the loneliness and isolation of a child on the road with absent parents. In one, a child alone in a motel room stands on a chair and stares directly into a TV screen à la Poltergeist; in another, we see a child’s back as it sits on the edge of a made bed in a dimly lit motel room, a pair of bare adult legs just visible at the edge of the frame; and, in another, a child clutches a life preserver on a double bed. Others are more comical: One shows a motel sign that reads Mecca, and in another, a fully dressed figure is placed stepping into a swimming pool. Mann’s digital disruptions provide a welcome and subtle tweak on collective nostalgia.

2660 S. La Cienega Blvd., L.A. | www.taylordecordoba.com | (310) 559-9156 | Through May 19

Going, Going . . .

It’s auction time in Los Angeles, which means it’s your chance to support a great cause and grab a fabulous piece of art for your collection. Here are some of the highlights this month:

On Saturday, April 21, it’s the Venice Art Walk & Auctions. The free preview is from 1 to 5 p.m. and features work by such greats as Allen Ruppersberg and Ed Ruscha. The live auction is from 7 to 10:30 p.m. All proceeds benefit the Venice Family Clinic.

Writers Boot Camp, Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Building I, Santa Monica | www.veniceartwalk.info | (310) 392-9255

The Blum and Poe Auction, on Sunday, April 22, benefits Free Speech TV, which is an independent, publicly supported, nonprofit TV channel. It includes work by more than 50 artists, such as Laura Owens, Sam Durant, Barbara Kruger, Martha Rosler, Paul Chan and Amy Adler. Collectors preview, 1-4 p.m.; silent auction, 4-6:30 p.m.

2754 S. La Cienega Blvd., L.A. | www.blumandpoe.com | (310) 836-2062

On Saturday, April 28, the Santa Monica Museum of Art hosts its third sale to benefit the museum. As in a true treasure hunt, “Incognito” sells all works for $250 each, and the artist’s name is revealed only after the work is purchased. This is one of those rare opportunities for some of us poor folks to purchase a great piece. Come early and hope to find anyone from Violet Hopkins to Yoko Ono. Check the Web site for an extensive list of participants. Santa Monica Museum, 7-9:30 p.m.

Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica | www.smmoa.org | (310) 586-6488

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