GALLERIES

Critics’ Choices

Orit Hofshi The Israeli artist, in her first substantial L.A. show, extends herself ambitiously in multiple directions, but what proves most memorable about her work is its most irreducible element, the mark of her hand (L.O.). Shulamit Gallery, 17 N. Venice Blvd., Venice; ends July 27. (310) 2810961.

Maxwell Hendler: All Summer Long Perfection and aesthetics do not usually go together, but Hendler’s deliciously mysterious monochromes make their pairing seem natural, part of a cycle that is bigger than any of us and sublime to contemplate (D.P.). Manny Silverman Gallery, 619 N. Almont Drive, West Hollywood. Tue.Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; ends Aug. 17. (310) 659-8256.

Continuing

Liz Craft Playful and grotesque, Craft’s Cousin It-like sculptures are like characters from an underground comic that seem to have seeped up through the ground — scions of a repressed chaos that lurks, watchful, just below the manicured surface (S.M.). Los Angeles Nomadic Division at West Hollywood Park, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood; ends Oct. 31. (646) 620-8289.

Connie Samaras: Tales of Tomorrow Always clear-eyed and rigorously composed, Samaras’ images document spaces where collective imaginings become reality. As such, they attest to the human will (or hubris) to remake the world in the image of our fantasies, whether they are daydreams or nightmares (S.M.). Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Tue.-Sun., noon-5 p.m.; ends Sept. 30. (626) 7925101.

Simmons and Burke The artists have mashed and montaged digital data for a half-dozen years, working like naturalists to comb the web for denatured specimens of media and pop culture. In their newest work they assume the naturalist role with literal fervor (L.O.). Michael Kohn Gallery, 8071 Beverly Blvd., L.A. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; ends Sat. (323) 658-8088. James Turrell: Sooner Than Later, Roden Crater The show filling the gallery’s handsome new space is largely a cerebral affair, centered on Turrell’s 40-years-and-counting project to transform an extinct volcano in Arizona into a celestial observatory of sorts (L.O.). Kayne Griffin Corcoran, 1201 S. La Brea Ave., L.A.; ends July 20. (310) 586-6886.

June Wayne: Eloquent Visionary The display of paintings alongside prints reveals that Wayne moved freely between the media, gleaning insights from each and enhancing our understanding of both (D.P.). Louis Stern Fine Arts, 9002 Melrose Ave., L.A. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; ends July 27. (310) 276-0147.

Group Show: Painting in Place Given the gross prominence of the marketplace in every nook and cranny of our Gilded Age today, looking at art inside the broken-down quarters of a ruined bank has inescapable resonance (C.K.). Los Angeles Nomadic Division at Farmers & Merchants Bank, 401 Main St., L.A. Wed.-Sat. noon-6 p.m., Thu. 1 p.m.-7 p.m.; ends July 31. (646) 620-8289.