Whether or not something is real or fabricated has become a compelling conversation in a contemporary context as technology allows for the simulation of reality on multiple levels. Artists have been interested in exploring the dynamics of representation and authenticity for many years, but what that actually looks like depends on the artist’s interests as well as what is happening in society at that time. For example, trompe l’oeil (French for fool or deceive the eye) artwork has been an artistic pursuit for centuries. The art form has been historically associated with two-dimensional imagery that appears as three-dimensional space or objects, but can also be applied to three-dimensional objects that, to put it simply, are deceptive in one context or another.

Using clay and enamel on copper, respectively, Canadian artists and married couple Karen Dahl and James Doran explore these concepts through their well-known trompe l’oeil sculptures. The two are not collaborators, but their work is rooted in similar subject matter and a desire to explore what still life means in the modern era. A recent gift of 27 works by Dahl and Doran joined three pieces by Dahl already in RAM’s collection—establishing archive holdings for each artist. Shown intermingled in this exhibition, the works of Dahl and Doran encourage extended viewing and consideration of art history, object meaning, and process.

James Doran

Entomological Doodle, 1989

Enamel on copper

11 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches

Racine Art Museum, Gift of Holly Hotchner and Franklin Silverstone

Photography: Jarvis Lawson