Written by DCist contributor Genevieve Smith. With perhaps the exception of art involving excrement or the denigration of religious icons, there are very few types of contemporary art more likely to raise the ire (or at least the eyebrow) of nonbelievers than those using found art objects. Walking into a gallery filled with readymades, one can almost hear a grumbling murmur of “my six year-old could have made that.” But while a sculpture constructed out…

Artist Steven Cushner has filled three full rooms at Hemphill Fine Arts with his geometric abstract paintings that explore conflict and difficult choices. Working in acrylics and watercolors, he arranges both familiar and unusual shapes in precarious or straining positions, always questioning whether the pieces really fit. Whether you’re a fan of abstract art, or if you looked at the image of the painting on your right and thought, “I have no clue what that’s…

FRIDAY: >> Get in your first Friday Art Night while you still can, people. D.C. galleries in the summer can be like ghost towns. Openings of note include Avish Khebrehzadeh at Conner Contemporary (6 to 8 p.m., her work Theater is pictured) and Steven Cushner and John Watson at Hemphill Fine Arts (6:30 to 8:30 p.m.). Also note openings for Jeff Spaulding and Ledelle Moe at G Fine Art are on Saturday from 6:30 to…

The visual arts scene around D.C. this week includes lots of new gallery and museum exhibits — keep reading for our picks. >> On Saturday, the long-awaited, 48th Annual Corcoran Biennial opens to the public. Curated by Jonathan Binstock and Stacey Schmidt, the Biennial (for the first time in years) includes several area artists as well as several international art stars. Look for the work of D.C. area artists Colby Caldwell, James Huckenpahler and Jeff…