Two artists exemplified a tendency that might be termed "the new mythology," in recent exhibitions at Agora Gallery, 530 West 25th Street, in Chelsea: Berlin-born painter Ilona van Hoek is often compared to Hieronymous Bosch for her meticulous technique and willingness to plumb the depths of fantasy. Yet for all the picturesque elements in some of her canvases, she can also invest a simple portrait with a haunting allusiveness, as in "Moderne sklaverei," which translates into English as "Contemporary Slavery." Does the "slavery" of the title refer to domestic bondage, or is the woman simply a slave to beauty? Part of the power of van Hoek's art is that the viewer must draw his or her own conclusions. California sculptor William C. Mang combines lively visual wit and technical ingenuity to create metal and mixed media pieces that capture one's attention both for their formal qualities and glimpses of an imagination in which ancient symbology and futuristic elements mingle freely. One of his most compelling sculptures depicts a sleek feline creature that, for this viewer, evokes the world of the Egyptian pharaohs. Its title, however, is "Flash," a term which simultaneously suggests the lethal speed of large cats and slang for stylish rock star strutting. Mang is a postmodern mythmaker with his own timeless take on iconic imagery.