It’s August—traditionally a sleepy month for visual art in Tampa Bay—but that’s not stopping C. Emerson Fine Arts owner Lori Johns from launching what’s sure to be a delightful exhibition of Eva Eun-Sil Han’s eye-popping collages (pictured). Tapping into the legacies of Surrealism and Dada à la Hannah Höch, the South Korea-born, Belgium-based artist combines portions of vintage photographs and found images with delicate, hand-painted or drawn shapes. Working lately with geometric grids and patterns, Han crafts riveting visual puzzles—often slyly erotic and always mysterious—from seemingly disparate sources. Up for just three weeks, the exhibit merits some moments of focus amid the fog of late summer. Measured Emotions: Eva Eun-Sil Han, through Aug. 29, 7-10 p.m., C. Emerson Fine Arts, 909 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, Gallery hours Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat., noon-5 p.m.,727-898-6068, c-emersonfinearts.com. – Megan Voeller
This article appears in Aug 19-25, 2009.