Nao Matsuomoto’s Whore is one of several provocative, functioning sculptures on display at the new Hamiltonian Gallery on U Street. Image courtesy of the gallery.

U Street’s new Hamiltonian Gallery opened on October 11 to a bustling crowd of curious onlookers. Those who were there to see how the space had been transformed after its twenty years of vacancy were in for a treat right from the start, and greeted at the front door by Nao Matsumoto’s Whore, an oversized but functioning quarter-fed vibrator. The sculpture doesn’t much resemble your typical sex toy, but instead is a huge, anvil-shaped pink eraser perched atop a black metal box labeled “WHORE”, with a cutesy pink heart informing us it takes quarters only (it really does).

Each exhibit at Hamiltonian features one mentor artist and two fellows. Brooklyn sculptor Matsumoto is this month’s mentor, and his extensive experience (which includes teaching at Pratt) shows in both the meticulous construction and engineering of his work, and in his confidence to deal with such provocative subject matter. Matsumoto’s other sculptures on display include a set of plastic, vibrating fertility dolls, and a fully-functioning flame thrower.

This month’s two fellows are Ian MacLean Davis, who holds an MFA from MICA, and Bryan Rojsuontikul, who graduated last year from George Mason with a BFA. While Davis’ work is visually stimulating and his technique well-honed (often layering acrylic, drawing, and the oft-snubbed giclee), the content of his work is perplexing. One struggles to make sense of his squirming lines, which hint at elements of mapping and human form, often without clearly pinpointing a target of reference.