Alexis Smith at Francois Ghebaly

Alexis Smith is one of the unsung heroes of the LA art world. Her installation ‘Rapido,’ a toy train set traveling endlessly around the perimeter of an otherwise empty gallery, is unusually sparse for her. You can’t help but feel the wistful melancholy in Smith’s work as you crouch down to track the train, suddenly a giant looming over an abandoned, post-apocalyptic village. The work dates to 1975, when it was first exhibited at UC Santa Barbara’s Art Gallery.

On view at Francois Ghebaly thru September 4.