The famous children's story of Pinocchio was popularized by Disney, but actually created in 1883 by Italian Carlo Collodi. The story is replete with examples of Pinocchio's mischievous, hedonistic behavior that lead to so much of his misfortune. Dine's sculpture of Pinocchio is much more akin to the original conniving Collodi figure than the famed naive Disney figure.

Depending on the angle of approach, the perception Dine's Pinocchio at the Cincinnati museum (one of a series of three) shifts dramatically. The figure is posed with one brazier-burned foot behind the other, back arched, arms outstretched, and head thrown back. His notorious nose spears into the sky, though his face bears no other features. The fact that the figure has no mouth or eyes seems to be in direct contrast with the title's parenthetical "emotional." Pinocchio's emotion in this sculpture is not directly discernible. From the front, he appears to be welcoming visitors and hearkening to the heavens. Alternatively, he could be in a mode of surrender or even angst-driven, frustrated incredulity. From the back, with his right foot staggered slightly behind his left, he appears to be calling out to visitors imploring them to visit. And from either side, he takes on a sort of Christ pose.

Dine expertly contrasts the silly with the profound in this piece. The vaguely Christological posing of the figure, it's monumental scale, it's grotesque featureless face all create great tension with the figure's rumpled, silly outfit, Disney gloves, cartoonish proportions, and his being a children's puppet at all.

The Cincinnati museum has a collection of prints by Jim Dine depicting vignettes from the story. His rendering of Geppetto is both remarkable and apt: a self-portrait. Dine aligns himself with the ill-fated creator of the puppet as one cannot be the artist of Pinocchio without equally identifying themselves with Geppetto.