Stuff it

It’s an abstract cast of artists curated by the Bay Area’s Aaron Petersen for the group show Keepers at Pamela Skinner/Gwenna Howard Contemporary Art. Each artist has a distinct aesthetic, though a few allude to the watery flux of the ocean, including Lorene Anderson and Mary Alison Lucas. Anderson’s elegant, ethereal abstract paintings appear meditative with a pastel palette and aqualike fluidity; and Lucas’ ceramic sculptures channel sea-urchinlike creatures from saltwatery depths. But the anomaly in this grouping is the figurative work of Michael McConnell. His delicate illustrations of animals are heavy on negative space, and his “taxidermic” sculptures—he uses the “skin” from plush toys and mounts them on animal forms, wrapping them in rope or string—are both macabre and dear. Also on exhibit is Petersen’s own vibrant work, Reed Danziger’s intricate compositions and Cynthia Ona Innis’ mixed-media paintings.