VIEWING ROOM
Ron Isaacs continues his 50+ 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 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.
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.
From July 2 - October 25, 2025, the Racine Art Museum (RAM) exhibits its archive of twenty-eight works created by Ron Isaacs between 1968 and 2020. This grouping includes early acrylic paintings on canvas, art jewelry, and over twenty painted wood constructions.
“I like open content in all my work. My job is to create an evocative and interesting object which rewards scrutiny and thought; there is no set “story” for a viewer to try to learn or guess in order to understand a given piece.”
-Ron Isaacs
PASSING THROUGH
Acrylic on Birch Plywood Construction
19 1/4 x 15 1/4 x 4 1/2”
"My three primary recurring subjects are vintage clothing (for the way it continues the life of the past into the present, for its rich structures and colors and shapes, and for its anthropomorphic presence as a stand-in for the figure); plant materials in the form of sticks, leaves, flowers; and found objects."
- Ron Isaacs
VENTURE
Acrylic on Birch Plywood Construction
58 x 24 x 6”
“Venture started with a sketch pairing a dress with a linear structure made of sticks (I often play lines against shapes for design). I liked this vintage gown for its color and structure, and I liked the idea of an organic, linear, possibly primitive-looking loose grid/fence/gate/cage/enclosure that I could make (of birch plywood, like the gown) to look like smooth pine sticks.”
-Ron Isaacs
WILD THING
Acrylic on Birch Plywood Construction
23 x 35 x 3”
“Altogether, I hope it makes a striking visual composition with a strong sense of mystery and more questions than answers, with a title that enhances some of the mystery.”
-Ron Isaacs