David Pagel reviews the exhibition Matthew Penkala: The Day You Crossed A Nova at Western Project, Los Angeles, on view through February 8, 2014.

Pagel writes: "Unlike so much of what makes up today’s visual landscape, Penkala’s paintings are slow burns. Combining the instantaneous appeal of eye-grabbing attractions with the lasting satisfactions of time-tested abstractions, his seven new works … at Western Project treat viewers to luxuries rarely found in contemporary art: reverie and introspection."