Dan's Papers - October 12, 2007 - art commentary With Marion Wolberg Weiss

Gallery spaces come in all sizes and shapes. East Hampton's Solar Gallery is a perfect example, residing in a contemporary ranch house on David's Lane. Soon after entering the bottom floor, however, it becomes apparent that the exhibit itself could be displayed anywhere at any time, establishing a light-filled, festive ambience all its own. The individual pieces are eye-catching, to say the least, with diverse media, materials and images immediately striking the viewer. It remains for the gallery owner, Esperanza Leon, to comment that the works are all self-portraits, a fact which adds to the show's striking appeal.

But there's more to this exhibition than mere imagery. As we take a closer look, we also see that many, but not all, of the self-portraits are unusual. Some may even be described as "gently grotesque" if there is such an expression. Perhaps a better term would be subtle distortion. There's the idea of change, too, which accounts for such distortion. Certainly Andrea Cote's video piece, where two faces, noses and chins merge, is an example. It's simultaneously funny and bizarre, not unlike images that are found in the French avant-garde films of the 1920s. If there's a statement Ms. Cote is making, perhaps it concerns narcissism (although the artist says that she's coaxing her other selves out to play).

In Ms. Cote's digital prints, where faces are superimposed from scanned negatives, the idea of diverse selves seems more appropriate as her faces convey different moods and feelings. The photographer's overall theme, however, may really be about process and change as represented by physicality. Distortion is the result.

A photography installation by Lucia Pizzani also deals with change, this time alternating points-of-view, as the subject's body is seen in varied positions through a jungle gym-like maze. The resulting images are beautiful, but seem deformed. Hand-painted Polaroid photographs by Serge Levy are similar in their images of change as the subject contemplates suicide (or so the series' title indicates). Thus, there's a positive mood represented by the last image, we're glad to notice. What's particularly interesting is the series' small format, which counterbalances the serious subject.

Deborah Riley's solarplate etchings are the most disturbing works in the show, the photographer conveying herself as both bandaged victim and brave warrior. It's not often that an artist is willing to take such a risk by showing us her "insides," both literally and figuratively. In this series, Ms. Riley evokes the idea that change has already taken place, as we do not see its process as in some of the other artists' works,