Scenes of bearable brightness

She has worked on the edge between reality and theatricality, or between nature and artifice, before. Her “Sustenance’’ photographs of birds shot outside her window were dramatically lighted. Her euphoric video “Falling’’ had us witnessing sycamore leaves swirling through the sky — a staged action.

If the artifice is ramped up in “Flora,’’ it fits the subject. “Lisa With Primroses’’ depicts a woman in a 1950s-era yellow gingham dress. She sits on a low, primrose-scattered hill gazing sweetly at animals gathered at her feet. The hill is evidently made of AstroTurf; the animals are porcelain tchotchkes. The backdrop of trees and grass is roughly painted. “Lee With Fuchsias’’ shows a sleek, dark-haired woman in her 40s surrounded by the hot pink flowers. Her lipstick, dress, and nail polish match the tone. She challenges us with her gaze as she slices her finger open with a glimmering dagger.

Most of the models are not true blossoms, either; they’re all between 30 and 50 years old. They’re playing roles, staging femininity, just as many, many women do every morning when putting on makeup. Not that the femininity isn’t real. But we all know how a little artifice can perk a girl up.

Emptiness and immediacy

It’s tempting to call Tom McKinley a realist, because his paintings of California modern architecture are so crisp and bright. McKinley has a show at Beth Urdang Gallery, where his paintings have been paired with prints by Alex Katz.