Barbara Morris reviews Accretion/Erosion

Charlie Milgrim presents Accretion/Erosion at Oakland’s Mercury 20 Gallery. Milgrim, who references her longstanding body of installation work with a single, elegant tripod-mounted bowling ball, has in recent years begun exploring new media, particularly digital photography. Her beguiling images may suggest biological or chemical processes, but are in fact the result of digital manipulations of mundane photos, taken by the artist, of the residue of paint on a sink (accretion) or the abraded surface of an aging floor (erosion). Her keen eye and sharp wit combine to create a collection of images that draw the viewer into a mysterious realm, the ethereal accretions balanced by the earthier erosions. Through May 4.

— Barbara Morris