Brandon Opalka’s work is both overt and covert, public and personal. As an artist rooted in graffiti (however loosely that can be defined these days), Opalka’s output on one level has always been overtly public by its nature. Like the man behind the spray paint and brush, the works themselves are bursting with a desire to express in a very overt way.

But Opalka’s work is also very personal and involves half-formed myths and half-hidden meanings. The title of his current show – “The Compromise” – reveals that dichotomy. “The Compromise” is an exhibit at the Dorsch Gallery about the compromise between the private and the public, both within ourselves and our communities.

One of Opalka’s outdoor creations greets visitors entering the indoor gallery. Opalka has painted the huge west outdoor wall several times, this incarnation is a mesmerizing mural based on a Sequoia tree. It’s one of Wynwood’s best attractions on its own (Opalka previously spray-painted an equally impressive allegorical tale on the same wall). But inside the gallery, “The Compromise” expands beyond paint, with works made of found objects, beer bottles, art books, covered or manipulated with paint or other materials. There’s also sculpture and a video, which depicts the ultimately compromised structure — a bridge that collapses. There is a tension here that is compelling and difficult, easy to feel and hard to understand, like compromise itself.

Opalka came to Florida as a teenager and his botanica-like works, with tiny animals and bottles, reflect the influence of Miami, and the inherent tensions of this place. There is a sensitivity and an acknowledgment about the ups and more often the downs of life; a tightrope that will never be easy to walk.

On opening night, in a mini-performance, a young man sang a cappella in a clear, soaring voice in the main space. Twice. It was a present to his wife, according to the artist. Marriage, like so much else, involves some struggle and indeed compromise. A very lovely tribute. “The Compromise” runs through March 26 and Opalka will be on hand for a closing talk at 2pm on March 26.

“The Compromise” by Brandon Opalka, through March 26; at 2 p.m. a “One on One” a talk between Felicia Chizuko Carlisle, who also is showing at the gallery, and Opalka at the Dorsch Gallery, 151 N.W. 24th St., Wynwood; 305-576-1278; dorschgallery.com.