Roast 'em

It's not uncommon for the C-word to make people uncomfortable. After all, it's got some strong imagery that comes with it. That's right, “collage.” Shivers just went down your spine, didn't they? But similar to your abhorration of Brussels sprouts when you were a kid, time goes by, your tastes mature, and you've got to try them again every once in a while to see if you might like them now.

For those who cringed at the mention of collage, it's time to take another taste. Try it with Sacramento-based artist Gerald Barnes at Sacramento Temporary Contemporary this month. His mixed-media works combine found images, like antique black-and-white photos of dapper gentlemen with well-groomed mustaches and bow ties (basically the current uniform of staff at trendy restaurants and bars), European and Asian paintings from hundreds of years ago, and his own colored-pencil or paintstrokes. By the way, if you keep boiling the Brussels sprouts, they're never going to win you over: Roast 'em, please.

And while at the gallery, do not miss Revisiting Skinner Howard, a reunion of the Skinner/Howard Contemporary Arts' roster, including Rogelio Manzo and Linda Raynsford.