Regarded as a pioneer among post-modern photographers, David Levinthal’s models are particularly compliant and never complain: The artist’s subjects are miniature figures and toys. Until March 10, the College of Arts and Science’s Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham presents “David Levinthal: Playland.” Among some of his most popular and well-known series are “Barbie,” “American Beauties,” “Blackface,” “Wild West,” “Mein Kampf” and “Passion.” The majority of works appearing in the exhibit are from a recent addition of 59 large-format Polaroid images to the AEIVA Permanent Art Collection.

The artist’s scenes are often inspired by actual historic moments, meticulously recreated with models. Through the resulting photographic images, Levinthal raises questions regarding the reliability of photography to dependably document events often culturally or historically significant. A native of San Francisco, Levinthal holds an undergraduate degree in studio art from Stanford University, and earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in photography at Yale. A closing reception will be held 6–8 p.m. March 2 at AEIVA, preceded by a talk given by the artist at 5 p.m. Both the talk and the reception are free of charge.