William N. Copley at Nino Mier Gallery

On view: February 15–March 13, 2020

Behind a red curtain at Nino Mier Gallery, a wallpaper of squiggled brush strokes on a mottled yellow background sets a particular scene. Within this, eight mirror-cum-drawings are hanging about, each one a delicate line drawing, depicting a female nude at a piano, or a man dancing with a bowler hat. Yet the faint figurative outlines meld with reflections of both the wallpaper and the viewer’s own reflection, making the drawings difficult to see clearly. William N. Copely, who first made these works in 1978, ran a gallery in Beverly Hills for one year, where he showed renowned surrealists like Man Ray and Magritte. Copely himself spun a surrealist style with a pop sensibility, which is apparent in this installation that is both playful, sensual, and self-reflective.