Where the Wild Things Are

In her exhibit "New American Fables," artist Amy Stein matches the juxtaposition of wild animals in suburban settings with a fairy-tale quality, in which both human and animal share an otherworldly calmness. They're also real — Stein is a photographer with remarkable patience and probably a good deal of luck. A bear peeks over a fence at a girl on a diving board; both are standing up, locking eyes, matching each other's posture. Another bear rummages through a car full of groceries as a woman waits a few feet away, as if this sort of event caps every trip to the market. In Howl, a wolf opens its throat to the sky while standing in a expanse of white, which could be mistaken for a meadow blanketed in snow if not for the streetlight, which doubles as a faux moon. And in In Between, a deer waits to cross a road, but is absolutely still, wary, staring at the photographer — Stein left the shutter open to capture streaking car lights. It's subtle evidence that everything is not as it seems.
June 12-Aug. 23, 2008