Categorizing contemporary art can be a tricky proposition. What if a painting isn’t flat or framed, but three-dimensional — is it still just a painting? What if a sculptural object is painted — is it still just an object? Or has it crossed over into some non-object/quasi-painting territory? Gallery Sonja Roesch’s “Painting or Object?” exhibit asks that very question.

“For painting, color is very important; for the object, it’s form. So what happens when each position is equally presented? Then the viewer has a choice,” says gallery owner Sonja Roesch.

“Painting or Object?” features the work of Garland Fielder, Mick Johnson, Josef Adam Moser and Dirk Rathke. Fielder constructed three-dimensional box frames, then cut off one side. He mounted the cut frames to the wall and completed the missing lines with paint, giving the viewer a partial object with some painting.

Rathke’s work is equally challenging. He presents what at first glance looks like a painting, but upon further inspection, the viewer discovers that Rathke has painted on a three-to-four-inch concave form, not a flat canvas. Hmm, is it a really thick canvas, or has it now become an object?

“It’s really fun to explore these boundaries,” says Roesch. “It’s all about your perception. It’s really open, it’s for each of us different.” So, painting? Object? What’s the verdict? Don’t expect Roesch’s artists to give you any easy answers. “Art always raises questions; it never gives any answers,” she laughs. If you find any answers, let us know, will ya? 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays. 2309 Caroline. For information, call 713-659-5424 or visit www.gallerysonjaroesch.com. Free.

Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Starts: Nov. 3. Continues through Dec. 15, 2007

This article appears in Nov 8-14, 2007.