Brian Eno’s ‘Video Paintings’ Add Observers to Media Mix

As a record producer, Brian Eno has worked with U2 and Talking Heads, and as a composer he has released 11 solo albums of textured, experimental sounds, some written to be heard in specific locations (“Music for Airports�). He has also created more than 50 gallery shows incorporating his “ambient music� and video work. His latest production of “video paintings� has been installed at the Santa Monica Museum of Art.

Eno describes his use of television monitors and cassette players as “two familiar technologies used in unfamiliar ways.� In his new work, “Latest Flames,� the monitors, some of which lie on their backs, are not meant to be looked into but instead project images of light and shadow into a darkened room. Acrylic plastic and cardboard structures support the screens and are washed in their shifting light. Four unsynchronized tape machines provide continually changing sound.

The artwork, requiring the viewer to be simultaneously a passive and active observer, has drawn attention from rock and New Age music fans as well as the art community.

Santa Monica Museum of Art, 2437 Main St.; (213) 451-5850; 1 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, $5, through Oct. 16.

BUCKINGHAM TREND: On Thursday, the Mor Gallery in Venice will present “Dan Buckingham: Recent Works.� Buckingham is a Southwestern artist popular in Taos and Santa Fe; his works have been shown locally at the Ace Gallery in Venice and the Torreon Gallery in Beverly Hills. Some of his canvases are in the estate of the late Georgia O’Keeffe. This show, the last before Buckingham leaves Los Angeles, will feature canvases covered in metal, plaster and hand-dyed paper. (Mor Gallery, 1627 W. Washington Blvd., Venice, (213) 399-2933 4-8 p.m.)

TEEING OFF: The Second Annual Venice Open Golf Tournament gets under way tomorrow morning at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. More than 128 artists and golf enthusiasts are to participate, including gallery owners Fred Hoffman and Jim Corcoran; restaurateurs Michael McCarty and Bruce Marder; and L.A. artists Robert Graham, Chuck Arnoldi, and Jimmy (Z) Ganzer.

Proceeds from the tournament and an auction will benefit the 1988 Santa Monica Arts Council, which is sponsoring new public art programs for the 3rd Street Promenade and the Santa Monica Airport. For information, call (213) 458-8350.

LAST CHANCES: Closing Friday at the Rosamund Felsen Gallery is the exhibit “The Throne Room: Icelandic Women and the King of Tonga--Part II,� Jeffrey Vallance’s collection of royal objects, crown jewels, and collages. Rosamund Felsen Gallery, 669 N. La Cienega Blvd.; (213) 652-9172; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Closing Saturday at the Kurland-Summers Gallery is a collection of three-dimensional wall reliefs by Northeastern artist Ricky Bernstein. Bernstein’s reliefs--humorous looks at human nature--are constructed of aluminum, handblown glass, and acrylic paint. Kurland-Summers Gallery, 87421-A Melrose Ave.; (213) 659-7098; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

“From the Back Room� closes Saturday at the Saxon-Lee Gallery. The exhibit features work by several artists who have had their own shows there, including Red Grooms, Gronk, and Raul Guerrero. Also closing Saturday is Saxon-Lee’s exhibit of “Peter Shire Ceramic Teapots, 1979-1985.� Saxon-Lee Gallery, 7525 Beverly Blvd.; (213) 933-5282; 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.