West Coasters Get Literal @ GR2 Gallery

Whereas New York galleries have an unflappable fealty to art classed by influence, taste, and theory, the galleries of the West Coast operate less intellectually and more intuitively as windows, providing insight into the land's breezy consciousness. The group art show at GR2 -- the gallery associated with Giant Robot magazine -- is no exception. With works by 30 artists (such as Yumi Sukugawa), "Suggestion Box" sidesteps highly conceptualized work for boldly narrative pieces, without linking their work to highfalutin' themes or statements. And as much as we all (especially yours truly) love the guesswork involved with complex concept-based art (and the intrinsic photo-op to pose thoughtfully, arms akimbo, and scrutinize the painting at hand), sometimes, it's just more pleasant if the artists opt to fill in the blanks. The GR2 show, opening tomorrow, seems fit to do just that.