77 Geary

The most intriguing art usually appears in what looks like the wrong place, and 77 Geary’s unmarked entryway is no exception. Get seduced on the mezzanine by the minimalism of Patricia Sweetow Gallery (www.patriciasweetowgallery.com) and shaken up on the 2nd floor by the political art of Togonon Gallery (www.togonongallery.com). For beauty with brains, see Marx & Zavattero (www.marxzav.com) next door for David Hevel’s neo-baroque, middle-America-meets-Hollywood taxidermy sculptures and Paul Mullins’ tragic-comic exploration of rural contentment. Sensitive meets sensational at Rena Bransten Gallery (www.renabranstengallery.com), featuring shows such as Hung Liu’s miragelike portraits of found ancestors, and collaged stills from ‘unwatchable’ movies by a man who should know: Polyester cult sensation John Waters.