Gimme Five

If you've ever considered the existential implications of the '80s videogame Q-bert, know you're not alone. Nathan Poetzscher, a cartoonist and illustrator, has thought about the game as well. In his piece Q-bert vs. The Void (pictured), our orange hero is clearly bewildered as he contemplates jumping to his death in a series of thought-bubbles. Apparently, life in eight-bit is just as Sisyphean as reality. Poetzscher and four other artists are part of the show Ink: Five Fine Artists on the Fringe, held at Gallery Visio (in the Millennium Student Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus, 1 University Drive at Natural Bridge Road; www.galleryvisio.org). In this exhibit you can see additional art that you probably wouldn't find in a typical gallery show: pieces by Amanda Pepper and Jason Haney (two local tattoo artists), as well as works by Scott King and Edward Kinsella III (a "doodler" and an illustrator, respectively). The show is free and runs through Wednesday, May 31, and the gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. For more information call 314-516-7922.
May 14-31