I Saw This: Loop de Loops

Mike Simi

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101 Prefontaine Place S., 296-8674, www.4culture.org/publicart/gallery. Mon.–Fri. Free. Ends Feb. 27.

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Mike Simi might be developing a reputation as that guy who makes ominous puff-stuffed men. Last month there was the ring of Simi menfolk, head to head in black hoodies, at Lawrimore Project, and this month brings another organized crowd of male figures, this time dressed for a shopping trip to Home Depot, at Gallery4Culture. Outfitted in khakis and grey sweatshirts, these guys possess a soundtrack, but they don't quite speak to me as much as another piece in the show. It's a bowl of Fruit Loops. With the bowl's bottom flat to the wall, you look into it, like a child at the breakfast table. Only the sugary cereal isn't floating in milk, and the spoon is immobile. This is I Want to Make Something Beautiful But Find It Extremely Fucking Difficult to Do So. Only Simi's done it. With a bit of nostalgia, and glossy cast plastic as milk, this sculpture is quietly gorgeous. It's also one man's nod to the impossibility of recreating a simpler time. Fruit Loops may not be as delicious as they once were, but Simi realizes their power of attraction. His idea, made tangible, is a visual treat.