Justin Beckman motions for me to grab a beer upon entering his bar. Empty boxes of Busch and Smirnoff are stacked high, the floor littered with empty peanut shells and sawdust. The walls are decorated with George Jones and Johnny Cash album covers. A projection screen shows Beckman lip-synching and pretending to play guitar to Hank Williams songs. A few empty tables line the wall. Beckman’s “bar,” of course, is actually his installation Honky Tonk (which ends Saturday). He’s transformed the gallery into a rundown middle-of-nowhere watering hole, entirely realistic yet fake. He explains, “You go to a bar like Smith on Capitol Hill, and they’ve got taxidermy on the walls, and hipsters are wearing boots and trucker hats. They’ve adopted an actual lifestyle as a trend—yet they won’t hesitate to turn around and make fun of a Republican hick from a small town.” While Honky Tonk tweaks such stereotypes and snobbery, it’s also a downright fun joint to visit. Listening to Beckman (presently based in central Washington), I toss my peanut shells on the floor—it’s encouraged, really!—and ask where to put my empty. He grins. “Put it wherever you like. It’s interactive art.” Punch Gallery, 119 Prefontaine Pl. S., 621-1945, www.punchgallery.org. Free. Noon.–5 p.m. ERIKA HOBART

Nov. 20-22, 2008