Delicate And Lifelike Wood Sculptures Create Mind-Bending Illusions

When artist Tom Eckert was young, he was struck by a mirage seen while on a trip with his family. It was a fairly commonplace one, but the sensation of having been fooled was something he wouldn’t soon forget. “The revelation that I was fooled, visually and intellectually tricked, stuck with me. This visual deception is now the basis for my creative direction.”

Years later, Eckert’s artwork still reflects that idea of the illusion. His painted wood sculptures depict every items, often draped with a piece of cloth. To the casual observer, these realistic sculptures appear to really be swaddled in fabric, but that’s all part of Eckert’s illusion. Everything he creates is a wood carving, which is then painted to be as lifelike as possible. Both the carved wood and the painting showcase some remarkable skill in creating illusions, and because they are sculptures, Eckert can create surreal, mind-bending illusions of his own, such as floating objects and windows that seem to look out into another dimension. Even the less fantastic sculptures, such as those that simply depict a piece of cloth, are still incredible in their careful, lifelike appearance.

Eckert has long been fascinated by the mysterious nature of items shrouded in cloth and they’re a recurring theme in his work. To create his pieces he uses traditional wood-carving methods, and, luckily for us, has hung onto his childhood sense of wonder and amusement.

Via 22Words