Wlshire Center

Like Eric Orr, Victor Raphael works with the touch of an alchemist, infusing inert materials with magical properties. Applying metal leaf onto abstract Polaroids, he transforms fuzzy snapshots into metaphysical talismans that pulsate with the heat of glowing coals. Titled “The Space Field Series,” the show is largely composed of pictures that look as though they were beamed back to earth from a space station; Raphael achieves an astonishing sense of vast space in tiny images titled “Galaxy,” “Elektra” and “Eclipse.” Also on view is a sculptural installation by Richard Long. (Richard Green Gallery, 834 N. La Brea Ave., to May 6.)