Chris Johanson in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO—What is immediately evident in Chris Johanson’s latest work, on view at San Francisco’s Jack Hanley Gallery through April 12, is that the artist enjoys making images and wants viewers to experience the same pleasure he took in creating them. His paintings are vivid and optimistic, and they are all done in a charming, seemingly simplistic, almost child-like method. The artist came to prominence in the 1990s, at a time when faux-naïf art was starting to be in vogue, but he already had a cartoon folk-art style that was completely his own. Over the years, his work has included drawings and paintings that are alternately introspective, populist, political, joyful, and colorful, as well as large sculptures, installations, videos, music, and assorted collaborative projects.

At Jack Hanley, the paintings are displayed on a gray fence-like structure that blocks views from the entrance and that contains one tiny peephole through which you can see one of the works. As you maneuver through the space, this wooden structure doubles as a maze and as a backdrop for the art, and the difficulty of traversing the ramshackle environment causes you to slow down and appreciate each individual piece. The artist strengthens his handmade approach by going green, placing each work in a recycled wooden frame.

While nine older works from 1993–98 are more in line with Johanson’s recognizable figuration, many of the newer paintings in the exhibition champion formal concerns over narrative. Contemporary Situation #1 (2008) and Untitled (Yoga Guy) (2007) are ultimately about the power of color and pattern, while a piece like Untitled (Heads) (2008) revels in the tactile nature of the medium of paint.

Chris Johanson recommends the following exhibitions in the Bay Area:

1. Jen Smith at Adobe Books Back Room Gallery (3166 16th St. [415] 864-3936), through March 23

“Jen Smith has been living a life that involves her politics and social concerns since I met her. This can be seen in her band the Quails, her visual art, actions such as caregiving at a center where she worked, and her involvement in protests.”

2. Randy Colosky at Atlas Café through April 4

“Randy Colosky has put on a beautiful show of thoughtful multimedia pictures about human life on earth. These works present a very scientific approach to self-help that comes from a personal relationship to the language of the work.”

3. Brion Nuda Rosch at 301 Bocana Gallery, through April 12

“I didn’t actually see this show, but I found a card for it and also saw an image on the gallery’s Web site. And I did have a great conversation about life with Brion recently. He has been involved with making art events happen in San Francisco for quite some time, most recently as one of the folks curating at Adobe Books. This show’s installation looks good on the card.”

4. Charlie Callahan at Receiver Gallery, through March 21

“Charlie Callahan must love nature or the ocean, because he makes these beautiful starfish sculptures that are so meditative and religious-looking. They slow you down and make you want to not eat living creatures from the devolving graveyard some call the ocean.”

5. Ukrainian Citizens and Strangers, organized by Julie Deamer, at Queen's Nails Annex through April 18

“Julie Deamer has been involved with art in San Francisco since the mid-’90s. She used to have a great space here called Four Walls. Now she lives in L.A. and does Outpost for Contemporary Art there. In this show at Queen's Nails Annex, she brings her energy back up to S.F. for an interesting cultural exchange. Check it out.”