In one canvas, a shirtless and barefoot boy lies napping under a large oak tree. One can almost hear the birds chirping, and smell the fragrance of flowers in the air. But the work is not simply about pleasure, much less hedonistic desire. On extended viewing, something unsettling creeps into the scene. Surface tensions erupt to prevent the images from being fully resolved. Collage elements appear which upset the continuity of the brushwork. Sometimes the images seem to dissipate, giving way to almost abstract expressionist passages of swirling brush strokes and poignant drips. One can only guess where Klein's formidable skills and subtle imagination would have taken him.

Jochen Klein at Feature (June 9-July 31), 76 Greene, 2nd fl., New York, New York 10012.