Denise Mickilowski "Stultus Oculus"

Fischbach Gallery

poster for Denise Mickilowski "Stultus Oculus"

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The phrase trompe-l’œil has its origin in the Baroque period, when it refers to perspectival illusionism, although trompe-l’œil dates back much further. It was (and is) often employed in murals. Instances from Greek and Roman times are known, for instance in Pompeii. A typical trompe-l’œil mural might depict a window, door, or hallway, intended to suggest a larger room.
A version of an oft-told ancient Greek story concerns a contest between two renowned painters. Zeuxis (born around 464 BC) produced a still life painting so convincing, that birds flew down from the sky to peck at the painted grapes. He then asked his rival, Parrhasius, to pull back a pair of very tattered curtains in order to judge the painting behind them. Parrhasius won the contest, as his painting was of the curtains themselves. Stultus Oculus is Latin for “Fool the Eye.”

In Stultus Oculus, Mickilowski brilliantly incorporates this age-old fascination with illusions portraying arrangements of beautiful flowers and edible delights displayed within “hand-made” wooden containers that have an arresting appeal to the curious eye. The deceptive strategy of recessed, open wooden boxes draws the viewer in for closer inspection, intensifying the intimate exchange between viewer and artwork. It is Mickilowski’s careful attention to balance between form, volume, color and illusionism that celebrate the paintings of Stultus Oculus. “Illusion is the first of the pleasures.” -Voltaire

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from March 22, 2012 to April 21, 2012

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