La Cienega Area

Margaret Nielsen was once known for sharp-witted miniature paintings of man-made objects. Gradually her work grew larger and more complex until she was painting big, apocalyptic views of nature. In her latest show, Nielsen has returned to small scale (no bigger than 12x15 inches), but she has not simplified her subjects. In fact, she seems to have compressed the intensity of her larger work into highly detailed, mythic images that emerge in the milky haze of a dream or the glowing fire of danger.

The setting is always a forest or stream and it usually includes wildlife, but moods vary from dark warnings to eroticism to inspired whimsy. Nielsen’s fluid realistic style turns romantic as she heightens emotion through streaming light or ominous darkness.

Most paintings depict symbolic confrontations, with different aspects of nature alluding to human forces. Jumping fish seem to nip at the heels of a fleeing elk in “Second Nature.” “Blind Faith” depicts dogs chasing an elk into a river.

Symbolism runs a bit thick when a nude woman embraces a tiger or a pack of dogs romps in a burning forest, but when Nielsen lightens up she turns out ethereal wonders. Consider such hopeful apparitions as “Disguise,” where fish fly in the smoke of a bonfire, or “Embarkation,” where birds burst forth from a burning canoe in the middle of a river. These peculiar sights lend themselves to varied interpretations, but their power lies in the strangely charming twist of their gut-level impact. (Asher/Faure, 612 N. Almont Drive, to Sept. 25.)