San-Antonio-lawyer-turned-artist Franco Mondini-Ruiz deftly crafts exquisite small-scaled

"High Drama," 2005, acrylic on canvas.

pictures, often just 10 inches high, that he sells for under $1,000. His 2005 show at Frederieke Taylor Gallery in New York was titled “Quattrocento,” and true to its title it consisted of 400 small paintings, each available for $400. When one was sold, he would paint a second version, working at a table in the gallery.

A major aspect of Mondini-Ruiz’ work is his humorous, Duchampian spoof of the art world as reflected in his desire to undermine the art market by distancing financial value from aesthetic value, which he accomplishes by making highly portable, not-so-precious art object with humorous, even silly, titles. But don’t be deceived about the aesthetic quality of these dashed-off, amusing pictures. They may have a raw crudeness we associate with folk or self-taught art, but they are wonderfully painted, filled with anecdotal details that reflect finesse and intelligence. They are sensual and sophisticated, combining the humor of New Yorker covers and the mystery of Edward Gorey illustrations. Of his work, Mondini-Ruiz says, “They are often high-drama. I like them to have a romantic feeling, but with a humorous undertone.”