Interview with Trompe l'oeil artists Ron Isaacs at the Tory Folliard Gallery prior to his 2015 exhibition titled Other Selves: New Trompe l'Oeil Painted Constructions.
Ron Isaacs
Ron Isaacs continues his 30+ year career of constructing and painting wood to resemble architectural clothing and other antique objects. Purposely devoid of figures, Isaacs invites the viewer to question what they are actually seeing. In this master’s hands, wood appears to be fabric, and leaves and branches are actually carefully constructed details. Combining trompe l’oeil painting with intricate wood assembling, Isaacs presents new sculptures that quietly demand a careful look to determine their true nature.
“I am still fascinated by the old simple idea of resemblance, the very first idea of art after tools and shelter: That an object made of one material can take on the outward appearance and therefore some of the "reality" of another,” explains Isaacs.
Isaacs received a B.A. in art at Berea College and went on to earn an M.F.A. in painting at Indiana University. He taught painting and drawing at Eastern Kentucky University for more than 30 years, and over time, developed his unique fusion of painting with sculpture. Isaacs has mounted numerous solo exhibitions nationwide and has work in the permanent collection of Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI; Hunstville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL; Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY; as well as many private and corporate collections. His work was recently reviewed by This Is Colossal and The Jealous Curator and his sculpture WALLFLOWER is featured on the new book cover of Brazilian author LÉLIA ALMEIDA, “Este Mundo Que Esquecomos Todos os Dias” or “This Other World That We Forget Every Day.”
