William Brice (Robert Miller Gallery, 724 Fifth Avenue): William Brice is a very good painter, long resident in Los Angeles. His new paintings—“notations” he calls them—have the character of a private diary in which line is left free to walk on its own and the colors of the desert are on hand to aid and abet. The human form comes and goes, as do pieces of furniture, visitors from the vegetable world and what look rather like some prehistoric standing stones. The humidity gauge stands at zero throughout, and the air is always clear. Though sketched out on 4-by-6 index cards, these paintings can get quite monumental without inflation, and the vibrations that they give off are exceptionally pleasant. (Through Dec. 1.)

From The New York Times, November 16 © 1984 The New York Times. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express written permission is prohibited.