Napoleon  just opened the month of May with a solo show by member artist Christina P. Day. Entitled “Solid State,” the objects in the exhibit are indeed physically solid, but contextually they are plastic and malleable in innumerable ways. Day places only four works within the confines of the space, but each one rests with a precise and deliberate placement that defies its apparent simplicity.

Christina Day, “Counter Cross.”

Upon entering the space, one’s attention is immediately captured by the complex and flagrant patterns of a rectangular wall hanging to the left of the entrance. Part vertical, Formica counter top, part vintage-tablecloth-turned-picnic blanket, this piece is marinated in so many potential meanings that the wild patterns on its surface almost take a back seat to its potential uses – almost. The rest of the show mostly shirks color, so the checkered, plaid design across this fixture is all the more engrossing. Its color scheme is reminiscent of retro ’70s kitchenettes and it could easily be utilized as an effective ironing board (although the artist might have a few reservations about that).

Christina Day, “Splint.”

Across the way from the interwoven diner décor is a pair of windows leading exactly nowhere… or are they windows at all? The glassless frames hang flatly against the white gallery wall as if begging for an artwork; it really is as if Day forgot to frame something and opted just for a diptych of nothing. The angle at which the frames slide diagonally back toward the wall, however, does peg them as windows instead of art frames. Since windows are typically meant to allow visibility and their integrated designs to decrease their profile in a home, it would seem strange to admire this part of their construction, but Day directs our attention there anyway.

Christina Day, “Love Note.”

Staying true to this illusory representation, a pair of headphones hanging from an abutment on the opposite wall seems rather straightforward. The speakers in this piece play audibly, and it is tempting to pick them up – until it becomes clear that they are not what they appear. Solid coverings plug up the openings where one’s ears would go and the quarter inch input dangles below, loose and unplugged. Clearly, the artist wired this contraption in such a way that the stray input is unnecessary, and the speakers play as they are – unusable but still functioning.

Christina Day, “Sistering.”

The last piece in the show is hardly different from the gallery space itself. Flat and white, three cut, white, doily forms stretch up the wall. They are well camouflaged and this white-on-white experiment seems to be literally growing outward as little plant-like sprouts spread out from the larger parts. Part vine, part lattice on which to climb, these three iterations really do attempt to exist on both sides of the coin.

Christina Day takes the abandoned meanings of the world around us and harnesses them into a show that rings of both design and Dada. Napoleon will be showing “Solid State” through May 26.

Napoleon is located at 319 North 11th St., Philadelphia, on the second floor; [email protected]; napoleonnapoleon.com.