Photographs Take a Twisted Look at a ‘Model Society’ in America : Exhibit: Ken Bolinas, whose pictures are on display at the Irvine Fine Arts Center, employs Barbie dolls and other figurines into his creations as a way of blurring the distinction between fact and fiction.

At first glance, Ken Botto’s photographs would seem to present slices of homespun Americana: cars gathered around a hot dog stand, a couple sitting at home watching TV. But on closer examination, you notice the twist: Botto isn’t placing the American way on a pedestal as much as making fun of it.

Botto delights in the absurdities of American culture and often uses Barbie and Ken dolls as models to put a crazy spin on reality. One photograph presents a table-top sculpture of a Barbie and a hamburger man in the kitchen being attacked by two small dinosaurs. In another, Ken and Barbie change the channels of their television as a jetliner crashes above them.

The 63-year-old photographer from Bolinas, Calif., uses only natural light to photograph his scenes, which imparts a surrealistic mood. Botto employs Barbie dolls and other figurines into his creations as a way of blurring the distinction between fact and fiction.

Thirty of his photographs, in an exhibit titled “A Model Society,” are on display at the Irvine Fine Arts Center until Feb. 4.

Botto re-creates middle America in a preposterous fashion, as each print can be interpreted in many ways. One highlight of the show is “America’s Number One,’ a photograph of tiny cars parked next to a giant hot dog with mustard flowing out the side.

Another highlight, “Quick Change the Channel,” puts the viewer next to those couch potatoes Barbie and Ken as they switch channels on their TV set in their living room, seemingly oblivious to a Pan American jet that has crashed overhead.

Then there is “Deep Shadows,” which takes the viewer deep into the ocean, where a giant plastic shark attacks an ocean liner in an aquariumlike setting. In his work “Space Station” from 1979, he turns a household mixer into a space station of the future, complete with tiny figures who scurry about the flight deck.

While Botto doesn’t stretch the photography medium to the limits, he uses his 1970s-model camera to capture the moods of his creatively molded scenes. He also succeeds in allowing viewers to take a lighthearted look at his unique version of the model society.

“A Model Society,” color photographs by Ken Botto, will be on display until Feb. 4 at the Irvine Fine Arts Center, at 14321 Yale Ave., Irvine. Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission: free. Information: (714) 552-1018.