Fun with land mines

Part of becoming an adult involves dealing with issues surrounding how we grow up. Artist Andries Fourie, whose work is on display this month at b. sakata garo, located at 923 20th Street, is dealing with just such issues, but his upbringing was less straightforward than most people’s. Coming of age in apartheid-era South Africa, where shooting ranges in high schools were quite normal, gives Fourie a base for his work. The few sculptures and many paintings deal with issues of memory and propaganda. Fourie sorts out his past via layers of comics and pages from children’s books, topped with iconic shapes of guns and land mines, all put together with bright, happy colors. The pieces, while dealing with some grim and unpleasant subject matter, don’t necessarily scream of politics but more of a search for understanding. And even with the strong nature of the work, they manage to be decorative and almost fun. The show runs through March 1.