Appealing softness
Armando Hernandez’s “Music and Calla Lily,” oil on canvas.
It’s August, and the dog days of summer rule, even at the 20th Street Art Gallery, where Rod Swenson’s pooches will make you forget about the sweaty, drippy days this month is groaningly known for. Swenson’s bright acrylic paintings of overgrown, stylized hounds, like “Remembering Hannah,” recall Clifford the Big Red Dog, made famous in book and on PBS. Although his blocky canines are more pointed at the nose, feet, ears and tails, they have an appealing softness; even their featureless faces can seem cuddly and amusing. They guard the gallery, at 911 20th Street, until September 1. Meanwhile, Armando Hernandez’s ample-figured women also hold court. “The Pool,” his oil on canvas, offers exaggeration—from the fat stripes on the wallpaper to the round woman in an austere pose—in bright circus colors. “Music and Calla Lily” evokes Diego Rivera’s style and penchant for that particular flower. For more information, call (916) 930-0500.
