Dystopic Visions What this exhibition lacks in size, it makes up for in theoretical and critical ambition. Curated by artists Jason Hoeing and Cary Horton as part of the Critical Mass exhibition program, it brings together works by six artists who criticize, contemplate and/or caricature facets of contemporary consumer culture. These visions are dystopic indeed -- particularly the installations by Jason Wallace Triefenbach, faux-scientific studies on preventing beach erosion on the fictional Isle of Confusion; and Khanh Le's prints and tiny books, which pose spiky questions on efforts to modernize Vietnam. Daniel E.C. Nunez-Shown's Home-Less and Tim Waldrop's Model Homes are quiet but devastating statements on the vacancy of the American Dream; Amy Harmon's Unnatural Selection offers up beauty accessories from consumer hell. Through July 31 at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar, 314-863-5811. Gallery hours 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
Exposure VII: Mind Games Ron Laboray has made his reputation as a smart local artist who takes on sites, maps and psychological characteristics of place. Here he takes on a dual role as artist and curator; Mind Games is a quirky collection that features a group of Laboray's paintings that populate maps of Springfields throughout the U.S. with creepy abstractions of The Simpsons. Also included are DVD works by Brian Goetz, including the brilliant Nosey Parker effort "Radiation Always Wins." Rounding out this little show -- which just might be the exhibition of the year -- are Brian Burnett's scary photos of big-box storefronts with names digitally scrambled like criminals' faces; Michael Keller's superb text paintings; and other works. Through September 11 at Gallery 210, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Building 44 (TeleCommunity Center); 314-516-5976. Gallery hours 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat.
Emily Hubley: Preliminary, Animated and Reconstructed Frames, 1995-2004 Many St. Louisans won't realize that they're already familiar with the work of Hubley, who designs animations for independent films, including Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2000). The collages on display here are small and delicate, barely containing her ferocious sense of absurd humor. Hubley has wit and animation in her DNA; her parents were in the business too. This show is well worth a visit and is a nice advertisement for Gallery Urbis Orbis' new space. Don't miss the sweet paintings inspired by Japanese pop culture by Kelly Newcomer across the gallery. Through July 2 at Gallery Urbis Orbis, 419 North Tenth; 314-406-5778. Gallery hours 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tue.-Thu., noon-7 p.m. Fri., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.
Tim Liddy: A 10-Year Survey This smallish exhibition gives retrospective credit to one of St. Louis' greatest artistic imaginations. Liddy, a professor of art at Fontbonne University, possesses a formidable grasp of art history and employs it when he works with found pieces of steel. He grafts images from Jacques-Louis David, Michelangelo and the like onto decaying surfaces, combining them with dreamlike symbols, advertising icons and evocative text. Whether large or small in scale, Liddy's works reach in multiple directions and refuse to settle down. His imagination is boundless; his imagery will work its way into your dreams. Through July 11 at the Center of Creative Arts, Anheuser-Busch Gallery, 524 Trinity; 314-725-6555. Gallery hours 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
Raedeke: Always Almost New The first in the new Kranzberg Exhibition Series at Laumeier is summer's hottest art ticket, a euphoric celebration of synergy and the synthetic. Daniel Raedeke has parlayed his earlier colorful, painted contemplations on consumerism into actual consumables: four little characters that appear throughout the exhibit in painted, sculptural, animated and packaged forms. From eerO, the gloopy version of the Arch, to Layz, Woggy, Landscapy and phasO -- you'll want to collect them all! Raedeke's work is much more than eye candy; it invites all kinds of cultural theory questions and analysis. But it's also just good, clean, visual fun, the flip side of the dystopia on display at the Regional Arts Commission. Through July 16 at Laumeier Sculpture Park, 12580 Rott, 314-821-1209. Gallery hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun.
Size Matters An exhibition based upon the curiously obvious premise that scale is a fundamental and meaningful component in a work of art. You could spend a lot of time trying to figure out why size plays a bigger role in these artworks -- as opposed to, say, any others. That would be a waste of time. Check out the show because there's some darn good art here, including a ten-panel wall work by Jenna Bauer, an irresistibly slick C-print by Miwa Yanagi and superb works on paper by Richard Serra and Ellsworth Kelly. Other stunners include Moses' Bullet Flag (constructed completely out of shell casings) and Joan Hall's Deep Blue, one of her delicious pigment and cast-paper nods to Yves Klein. Through July 3 at Elliot Smith Contemporary Art, 4729 McPherson; 314-361-4800. Call for gallery hours. -- Ivy Cooper
