Outlaws of the Plant World Honored at City Hall

In the eyes and canvases of artist Lorrie Fink, wild plants are accorded a kind of "noble savage" respect.

Fink's oil portraits of untamed flora, currently featured in her "Wild Things" exhibit in the Gallery Space at , seek to "convey the exuberance and resilience of things that grow wildly without invitation or cultivation," she says in an artist's statement on the wall.

"Part of my task is to express the beauty I find in the uncultivated landscape, while rendering these plants as portraits, distinct and individual," she says.

"When is a plant considered a weed?" she asks. "When is it welcomed in the wilderness but unwelcome in a cultivated environment? These plants embody parallels between cultural diversity and biodiversity, provoking questions about desirability, exclusivity and valuation."

A public reception for the artist and exhibition will be held at City Hall tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 18, 6-8 p.m. The exhibit runs to Dec. 21. For more information call the El Cerrito Arts and Culture Commission liaison at 510-215-4318 or visit Fink's web site.