An abstract painting can have as much thematic content as a representational painting, but it can be tricky to pin down its exact meaning. A case in point is an exhibit by Stan Wenocur in Howard Community College's Rouse Company Foundation Gallery.Wenocur, who is a longtime presence on the Howard County gallery scene, has given his exhibit of mixed medium paintings the title "Fabrications and Realities." There is a pun involved here, because fabric is among the materials with which he works. Other materials include charcoal, paper, cement and, yes, paint.As you might expect from reading that list of ingredients, these are layered paintings. That's actually something he accentuates, because the artist likes to tear into the surface, sand it down and extensively rework it. As a result, there typically will be one layer of material covering much of the surface and submerged layers of other materials and colors peeking through in places.Although these mixed medium paintings avoid overt imagery, it's fair to think of many of them as abstracted landscapes. Just consider the aptly named painting "November Landscape," in which autumn-evocative areas of red, yellow, orange, black and gray are arranged in horizontal bands in the composition.Wenocur also works with landscape-evocative fields of color in such paintings as "Blue Field Study" and "Gray Field Study." The dominant colors aren't overwhelmingly dominant, however, because the abraded painterly surface calls your attention to the process of making the painting and not just to the assertiveness of the coloration.If some of the painterly surfaces have a worn-down appearance, others pile on the materials sufficiently to raise the surface up a bit. In "Development," for instance, the nubby surface reinforces the density of the predominant shades of black and gray.Where fabric is concerned, sometimes it's applied to the surface in the manner of a draped cloth and at other times the fabric is cut up and applied in a more fragmentary manner."Let in the Light" has off-white patterned cloth adhering to much of its surface, but also has vertical strips of colored fabric applied to one section of the painting. "Consider the Design" incorporates flowing strands of yarn. And "Remnants" features small pieces of string that have been scattered against an off-white background.Besides his display of paintings, the artist also has a mixed medium installation in which figurative sculptures, paintings and explanatory texts deal with the plight of political refugees. This is an important topic, of course, but its blunt presentation may prompt you to conclude that Wenocur's art resonates more effectively when it's more abstract in its presentation.Stan Wenocur exhibits through Nov. 20 in Howard Community College's Rouse Company Foundation Gallery, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. Running concurrently in HCC's Art Department Gallery is "Chaos: a Photographic Exhibition." There is areception for both shows on Thursday, Nov. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. Go to www.howardcc.edu