How wonderfully goofy can one painting be? How sly, witty, and good-natured? How little can you do and still end up with an artwork that is coherent and vital and new? What do you think of this cute cartoon figure on a huge white canvas? Is it possible to paint an Impressionist landscape today? Are scrappy, charming video works—canny self-portraits, in a sense—even more charming when framed by scrappy canvas frames? Would you like to see a painting of the actress Molly Ringwald? Are you familiar with the work of the superb and widely influential New York–based artist Trevor Shimizu? Would you like to visit the ICA Philadelphia and see a small yet handsome show of his output that makes a case for a sprawling survey one day? —Andrew Russeth

Installation view of “Trevor Shimizu: Performance Artist” at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania. Photo: Constance Mensh.