On a low pedestal at the center of Shrine Gallery’s back exhibition space, a selection of Sally Saul’s quirky ceramic sculptures seems designed to underwhelm but charms none-the-less. Snaggle-toothed dogs frisk around, three white-throated sparrows with delicate bodies and chunky feet gather around a dish of food, and a couple of chipmunks chatter together in sculptures that delightfully picture animals in community with each other. Meanwhile, Saul’s perturbed-looking self-portrait head semi-surrounded by several tiny flying fish humorously suggests that this alter ego has slipped into another mental state while nearby, a whimsical hatted figure holding a dish of something resembling fruit sits in wholesome enjoyment of the natural world. (On view in Tribeca through May 9th).
