Rare is it that sidelong glances and peripheral vision are employed as artfully as a brush or a lens, and novelist/artist Mercedes Helnwein's solo exhibition East of Eden unveils these subtleties in this way so that the skeleton of normal life is fleshed out and imbued with the implicit aura that makes life that much more beautiful. The opening reception hosted by noted actor Jason “Really Should Be Fletch in the Prequel” Lee, marks Helnwein's second solo exhibition here, showcasing new works for pencil and paper that are stunning in their stark and streamlined simplicity. They are the equivalent of that iconic photograph of filmmaker Maya Deren in which she gazes out of a window, enigmas played out not in the frame but instead in the endless possibilities of what lies beyond it.

Tuesdays-Saturdays. Starts: Nov. 14. Continues through Dec. 19, 2009

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.