It is a pleasure this season to see an exhibition of paintings in which the subject is a serious exploration of an artist’s personal landscape. The show of paintings by Sherrill Blalock opening tonight with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Louisa Gould Gallery is such an exhibition. Appropriately named Cabinet of Curiosities, the paintings represent a complex psychological story of the artist’s view of the world.

The 10 paintings, which seem at first to be unrelated, may actually be seen as chapters in Ms. Blalock’s search for meaning. The images are rich with metaphor while remaining tied securely to an aesthetic foundation of visual quality. Totem and Talisman are good examples of objects that have a wealth of spiritual meaning yet remain intensely personal and part of the artist’s collection of treasures found in her cabinet of curiosities.

The transition between personal images and universal ideas is a constant element that energizes the group and unites it into a collective. The paintings trigger the viewer’s imagination, touching the wellspring of one’s own stories and memories. To this end, Sherrill Blalock’s paintings fulfill the desire for a substantial aesthetic experience this summer on the Island.

— Reviewed by Robert Jewett, who also exhibits at Louisa Gould Gallery.