On a hot autumn afternoon, a few hours before the opening of his first show at Zeitgeist in 11 years, Will Berry looked remarkably cool in a crisp white short-sleeved Oxford shirt tucked into neatly pressed khakis. His appearance matched the calmness of his work.

“The Night of the Iguana” is an understated, subtle collection of paintings, a quiet show with no labels (all the pieces are untitled). Manuel Zeitlin, whose architectural firm shares space with the gallery, described it as Zen-like.

Curated by Victor Zamudio-Taylor, the show remains on view through Oct. 26.

The larger paintings use three metals — aluminum, lead and graphite — and layers of patterns based on Mississippian Indian motifs, simple drawings referencing autobiographic details from Berry’s family history (“symbiotic autobiographical sketches,” he calls them) and varying hues created by oxidation of the metals.

Though conceived as individual paintings, the works are particularly effective when grouped either as a triptych or in a block of six: graphite, aluminum and white over aluminum, white and graphite.

The aluminum paintings have the patina and reflectivity of antique mirrors while the graphite paintings are full of barely perceptible hues, faint reflections and just-discernible designs.

“The metals fuse, contaminate, change each other to become something new,” Berry said.

“This is really two different shows when seen in natural light versus artificial light at night,” Zeitgeist’s Lain York said. He also said the presentation of the show pushes the limits of minimalism, which is something he and Janice Zeitlin wanted to explore in this new space.

Zeitgeist is at 516 Hagan St., Suite 100, and is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. There is no admission fee. For information, call 615-256-4805.

— MiChelle Jones,

for The Tennessean