Native Son

Because Hollywood is there, common sense would have it that California film students don’t graduate and then leave for Lawrence, Kansas. But this is one way in which Alec Joler, a film student from Oakland who grew up in Lawrence, stands out. Even more eye-catching are his dynamic, noisy collages, which lift images from popular culture and newsprint to produce pictures depicting the comic, the digital, the famous and the infamous. And the horrific: One of his best, “Mars Venus,” features yellow-jumpsuited scientists cleaning up biological toxins. Joler is also something of a filmmaker, and with his small film company, EasyAction, he has created several shorts and a feature-length thriller titled Suspension. Joler will have his Lawrence art debut tonight from 7 to midnight at the Blue Dot Salon (15 East Seventh Street). Four TVs will be hooked up to headphones and show short films, along with a trailer for Suspension. Twenty-five collages will be on display. For more information, call 785-840-0407. Alec Joler
Fri., Aug. 24, 7 p.m.-midnight