Sullivan Goss will present its fifth solo exhibit for Santa Barbara artist Patricia Chidlaw, May 31-July 22 with an opening reception during 1st Thursday, 5-8 p.m. June 6.

Acclaimed as one of the preeminent realist painters of California working today, Chidlaw’s newest exhibit “NIGHTHAWKS” is accompanied by the announcement of a new monograph surveying her career.

The paintings included in “NIGHTHAWKS” are an echo of what remains of the day and the promise of the nightlife to come, according to Sullivan Goss.

A little gritty in true Chidlaw style, the urban landscapes focus on what’s just outside the action; they are more about the way neon light rakes across puddles in asphalt or a lone car parked on a darkened street. The action has passed and what remains are reflections.

Even the carnival scenes seem quiet, more pensive than celebratory; the swirl of lights and implied carnival music seem to stand still. The hawks of the night have come and gone and only the stalwart few silently remain.

Nighthawks is a nocturnal road trip, heading south from the Buddha Bar in San Francisco to the Wildcat night club in Santa Barbara, under the sixth street bridge in Los Angeles, then east out to the Mojave desert. Wherever she pauses, Chidlaw captures the fringes of urbanity after hours.