“The Thames Mudlarks: A Group Show of London Artists”

The Thames Mudlarks are a group of Londoners who have been wrestling the mud along the famed river’s bank since 1980. The group searches for toys, weapons and other objects dating back to medieval times and preserved thanks to the mud’s low oxygen content. The exhibit “The Thames Mudlarks: A Group Show of London Artists” doesn’t feature any of these finds; instead, it features work inspired by the mud and its preservative qualities.

Shane Bradford’s work is a shining example. His collages feature framed photographs, paintings, toys, paper airplanes and other objects that have been repeatedly dipped in gloss to produce a thick, shiny finish and large hardened droplets. Adam Humphries re-creates- large-scale models of a lump of dirt and a meteor in Free Dirt and Mississippi Meteor, respectively, and his inkjet prints feature cartoon landscapes of roadside, dusty debris. And Peter Lamb collages photographs, clipped advertisements and other found scraps, preserving them by pasting them on canvas. See these and other Thames-inspired works from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Through February 23. CTRL Gallery, 3907 Main. For information, call 713-523-2875 or visit www.ctrlgallery.com. Free.
Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Starts: Jan. 18. Continues through Feb. 24, 2008