A Block of Wood Carved Into a Stack of Papers and Magazines

 

Randall Rosenthal (featured previously) is an American artist well known for his hyperrealistic wood sculptures carved from a single block of wood. After receiving his BFA from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Rosenthal actually began his career as a surrealist painter. While he has shifted to sculpture he still incorporates his talents as a painter, bringing his sculptures to life with incredible color, detail and realism.

In an interview with rh+ artmagazine, Rosenthal cites Van Gogh and Pollock as two artists that inspired him the most. Van Gogh because of the way he used paint and Pollock because he taught him that art didn’t have to ‘be’ about something and instead could be about only itself.

In the reductive artwork below, Rosenthal starts the process by gluing together several large pieces of wood to form his ‘block’. From there he chips away until the final form is slowly revealed. Once the carving is complete Randall sets to paint his sculpture, culminating in the final artwork seen below.

You can find much more of Rosenthal’s work on his website. If you’re interested in purchasing his work, he is represented by the Bernarducci Meisel Gallery