Small, painstakingly rendered gouaches in magenta, orange, blue and other bright colors, looking deceptively innocent like easter-egg decoration, the content of Dyer’s compositions are crowded with curious symbology. Every inch of space is filled with patterns. Lush growths of strange plant forms push out from central themes where children hold hands or stand in gesturing wonder and now and then a Chagall-like figure swoops through the cluster. Mostly the gouaches seem too decorative, stemming from a type of folk art that is difficult to place, but there is a peculiar appeal in the lively, happy colors. The works seem a result of the artist’s attempt to recapture very personal memorabilia.

—Betje Howell