In the Fictions photographs, black-clad models and unexpected props (an electric guitar, a hill of crumpled papers) suggest bizarre narratives. Contradicting the playful connotations of their poses are the characters' glib expressions and rigid postures. In one image, a woman stiffly slips a silver teapot between a man's lips; in another, a child grips a disco ball before a man with a flashlight. Levé's elegant series cloaks context with body language and places the viewer between the real and surreal. He has set the stage, turned on the film-noir lighting, and arranged the actors, but not provided any action.

Untitled (detail), from Fictions, 2006