Inside the Amazon
In its debut exhibition, Mind Over Matter, new Water Mill gallery Hampton Hang is showing a selection of paintings by East End artist Steve Miller through April 30. The work, from his Health of the Planet series, incorporates x-rays Miller took himself of plants and animals from the Amazon River Basin in Brazil, along with photographs, silk screens and fluid, abstract paint applications, including representations of the snarled telephone and electrical wires in Rio’s downtrodden and dangerous favelas. The artist was struck by the rich biodiversity in Brazil during a 2005 visit and it inspired him to tell the story of this crucial and threatened region, which he calls “the lungs of the planet.” Miller is no stranger to using science and technology in his work, calling it today’s “international language.” The earth’s treasures are further illustrated with a collection of specimen minerals curated by Angela Firestone, formerly of the Cranbrook Science Museum. Sculpture by East Hampton artist Mike Chiarello is also on view.

Hampton Hang, 688 Montauk Hwy, Water Mill. (631) 726-2266,
hamptonhang.com, stevemiller.com, mikechiarello.com.

Pinocchio’s Truth
Jim Dine once identified with Pinocchio the boy, but he later connected to and became Geppetto, the man who brings his craft to life. It’s the perfect metaphor for creating art, seeing an object come to consciousness, Dine has said. Sculpture/Dine/Pinocchio, on view through July 8 at the Nassau County Museum of Art, is a rare treat and a major exhibition of the 76-year-old artist’s recent sculptural work, along with a series of 40 Pinocchio lithographs he created to illustrate Carlo Collodi’s original story.

Dine’s sculpture, in a variety of materials, is displayed on the museum’s first floor, while his outdoor pieces are in the sculpture park and wilderness refuge. Along with the Pinocchio sculpture and prints, work from two of Dine’s well-known series, Heart and Venus, makes an iconic appearance. This often rough-hewn, yet graceful collection is an excellent survey of this modern master.

Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9338, nassaumuseum.org.