To the Max

In the back gallery are a group of small Kretschmer pieces quite different from the large paintings, though they are also made from glass and tar. These smaller works deal in optical illusions. Kretschmer puts together several sheets of glass with tar in tight linear patterns caught between them. Since the pieces are many sheets thick, and because Kretschmer has painted different areas on different sheets, the geometric images actually proceed and recede from the surface. In "Frame In/Frame Out," a pair of patterns is placed side by side. It seems to be three-dimensional, but it still has a flat front surface. On the left, the image--a square pyramid--appears to be coming off the surface; on the right, it looks like it is receding into the wall. It's that "most from the least" idea, championed by Andre but uniquely expressed by Kretschmer.

Come to think of it, that's the same thing gallery director Robin Rule has done by presenting a show like this. She's made the most of the least by using her modest storefront gallery across from the Mayan Theater to host an exhibit rivaling those on display at local museums.

Carl Andre and Melissa Kretschmer through July 3 at the Rule Modern and Contemporary Gallery, 111 Broadway, 303-777-9473.