Open House: Louise Brooks & Company @ Harlem

On Saturday, a nondescript Harlem brownstone just east of Frederick Douglass Avenue played home to an open house for a motley of artists as part of artHarlem's Open Artist Studio Tour. This particular showcase included, among others, the work of Louise Brooks (not the silent film star) and mixed-media artist Julian Rozzell Jr. -- perfect examples of the broad spectra of styles on exhibition. Rozzell's tendency to mix matter like vinyl, wood, and leather into a single composition allows him to be prolific regardless of the limited surface area available.

In contrast, Brooks’ sprawling, pastel-colored paintings feature ambiguously rendered human figures swimming in details extracted from the central figure and re-incorporated into the surrounding canvas. So, while an errant turn in this neighborhood could find you wandering around St. Nicholas Park at an ill-advised time of day, it’s refreshing to chance upon a gallery space where pretense and ironic haircuts are shelved in favor of under-the-radar art and old-fashioned hospitality.