Alexa Horochowski: The Unicorn in Captivity

Alexa Horochowski’s large-scale paintings show young girls innocently romping through worlds that don’t quite exist. In her bright fairy-tale scenes, the St. Paul artist shows children interacting with unicorns, swans, and other romantic creatures known to populate young girls’ imaginations. On closer inspection, however, other things appear to be slightly off in creepy ways: These are older girls, on the verge of the decidedly dangerous territory of adolescence, and many of them are naked or in positions of casual danger. Her work gives rise to the idea that perhaps it is the lovely myth of childhood innocence itself that doesn’t quite exist, and that the early years are simply training for adulthood. 612-870-3131; www.artsmia.org