On the horizon

Questions about an artist’s work usually can be answered in the artist’s statement, which provides background information—the kind of knowledge that can put you closer to the artist’s goals or intent. Although words help, nothing beats seeing paintings that don’t need explanation. This month, the Exploding Head Gallery, at 924 12th Street, is featuring work by such an artist. Patty Neal’s paintings are clear in their execution—well-painted images with dazzling colors and a perfect tight, but not stiff, feel. Most of the subjects offer a view from a street in or around San Francisco. Neal seems to love that sensation of being in a city as it turns dark and then quickly glancing at the top of a building while it glows in the remaining sunlight. The viewer knows full well what Neal is doing, and the juxtaposition of city life and the appeal of nature doesn’t need to be explained in words.