Jeni Spota’s “Giotto’s Dream” at Sister Gallery

This is Chicago-based painter Jeni Spota’s first solo show. Her tiny paintings, thick with a frostinglike application of oil paint, are inspired by Pasolini’s The Decameron. Spota’s uniform canvases are densely populated and depict dizzyingly intricate religious scenarios. The juxtaposition between the ordered, symmetrical layout of the painting and the sloppy lushness of the paint creates a wonderful tension. Black-and-white graphite drawings, equally dense with figures, have a starkness that offers a nice contrast to the paintings. The drawings function like storyboards of sorts; the paintings are more like films because of their color and inherent movement from the application of the paint itself. There is much to see in each of these 12-by-14-inch panels; make sure you can spend time with the work.

437 Gin Ling Way, dwntwn. | (213) 628-7000 | www.sisterla.com | Through November 17

“For REE” at Marc Foxx Gallery

Don’t miss the last few days of this group show dedicated to and inspired by the art of Ree Morton. While a concurrent show at Overduin and Kite spotlights Morton’s early years, before she began using a material called celastic, this show focuses on the period before her death in the late ’70s. It includes not only some of her celastic pieces but also the work of artists influenced by her. The impressive list of participants includes Evan Holloway, Frances Stark, Jim Hodges, Susan Philipsz and Amanda Ross-Ho.

6150 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. | (323) 857-5571 | www.marcfoxx.com | Through November 10

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