Every era brings us countless examples of the most unlikely pairings becoming incredibly memorable, even iconic: Ike and Tina; Demi and Ashton; indie-rock idols and car or beer commercials; and, of course, peanut butter and chocolate. At LaMontagne Gallery (555 East 2nd Street, Boston, 617.464.4640), Russell LaMontagne gets conversation flowing by mounting works by two artists at a time so they can play off one another in subtle but natural ways. “It’s a commercial gallery, but it’s intended to have a collaborative and collective feel,” he says. “The artists all speak to one another and make sense together in the same critical dialogue. That’s really important to me. I want artists to feel comfortable with other artists in the gallery.” Currently, in his raw space overlooking industrial lots of South Boston are Brooklyn-based Misaki Kawai’s Crayola-bright, scrappily sophisticated paintings and sculptures, which appear to be inspired by kindergarten memories, anime, and ’60s advertising, coupled with local artist Andrew Mowbray’s Victorian-tinted, cabinet-of-wonders-esque works. It’s a fanciful oasis amid urban grit. (Through Saturday, March 28th)
