A. J. Fries’ moment has arrived. Though he’s been a major figure on the local painting scene for the past decade, interest in Fries’ recent work—a series of meticulously rendered photo-realistic oil paintings tied to a deeply reflective conceptual approach—has been on the rise. That’s thanks to his inclusion in the 2007 version of “Beyond/In Western New York,” the inaugural exhibition at the Burchfield Penney Art Center and several other group shows and auctions. Fries’ new body of work consists of monochromatic canvases, depicting such apparently banal things as water being sucked down a drain or collecting on bathroom tiles, clouds on the horizon and cars in the distance. Hallwalls visual curator John Massier called the photo-realism of Fries’ paintings “a complete ruse, a means to get to somewhere else.” Thanks to an exhibition of his work opening today in Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (341 Delaware Ave.), Fries growing fan base will be able to get a good sense of his destination. Also opening today at Hallwalls is an exhibition of risque work by Tempe, Ariz.-based artist Jon Haddock, whose recent series “Vintage Mouse Porn” portrays black-and-white cartoon mice engaged in explicit sexual acts. “These works do not aspire to address the more idiosyncratic tastes of the contemporary porn consumer, but direct one toward blunter questions about sex and desire,” Massier wrote of Haddock’s work. Both artists will give talks in the Hallwalls Cinema at 7 tonight. The shows run through Dec. 18. For more information, call 854-1694 or visit

www.hallwalls.org

. —Colin Dabkowski