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Jon Cournoyer layers beautiful images that recall the happiness of childhood days, but that are also tinged with the dread menace of childhood nights. His materials are old picture books, aspirational novels for girls, treasuries of verse and his own arcane sense of balance. For his new exhibition, Home Life in Far Away Lands, the familiar angelic young ladies and golden seals are once again set against their stately text fields, but there's something new -- images of the night sky are a recurrent feature. Are these constellations the far away lands of the show's title? That's the true beauty of Cournoyer's work; there's always a narrative for you to unravel and make each piece your own. These are storybooks written in image, half-remembered adventures made manifest. Home Life in Far Away Lands opens with a free public reception from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, November 2, at Hoffman LaChance Contemporary (2713 Sutton Boulevard, Maplewood; 314-960-5322 or www.hoffmanlachancefineart.com). The show remains up through November 25, and the gallery is open Friday and Saturday (and by appointment).
Fridays, Saturdays. Starts: Nov. 2. Continues through Nov. 25, 2012