Three stars
Hidden Noise

David Mattingly appropriated the image of Le Chat Noir (the black cat) from a book of Egyptian symbols. He paints this sly black cat on found objects such as boards, shovels and a vanity mirror bought for $10. Occasionally, he paints an actual canvas, using acrylics and oil. In “Le Chat Noir,” the image of the cat is in the center of a dotted black square on a red and orange canvas. And in “Totem,” the cat is painted on a flat board turned upright; his two-dimensional companions are a flower and a fish. If you want to wonder what all this means, then good luck to you. Better to follow the lead of the artist who created it. “I’m just trying to have fun with composition,” he says. Available at the opening: Mattingly’s free booklet of black and white illustrations entitled “There Never Was a Sad Moon Shadow Stare.” Through Sept. 19; 317-508-8043, davidmattingly1@mac.com.