Erick Swenson’s Untitled, 2000 depicts a dramatic scene in which a seamlessly crafted, meticulously hand-painted figure resembling a dog or fawn is being swept upward from the ground by a billowing red and black cape hooked to its tail. The small, pale animal bares its teeth, adding tension to the moment, yet the story behind this strange event is undisclosed. Swenson’s scenes are the result of a hybrid of influences, including animation, movie stage sets, and natural history dioramas. The connection to dioramas is an intriguing one, because as is frequently the case with them,...