Rute Merk’s latest at Tara Downs emerges from a machinic acronym, a play of meaning, that initially puts one in mind of emoticons or turn-of-the-century operating systems. XP: the combination of these two letters produces a multivalent phrase; in other contexts, it could stand for extreme programming or cross-platforming, and these alternative definitions do not seem too far removed from the maximalist posturing or the feats of translation accomplished by Merk’s large-scale oil paintings. Yet by the abbreviation XP, Merk refers particularly to the term experience point, taken from gaming: a unit of virtual achievement earned through gameplay. Extricate this term – experience point – from its immediate context and its peculiarity, its alienating effect, becomes apparent: the compressed economy…