Diptych

Richard Artschwager was a fine woodworker before turning to sculpture. To sculpture he brings the tradition of the meticulously crafted, wooden object to his Diptych. The faux wood-grain pattern of the Formica reminds us of the historical role of illusion in art. Just as perspective systems appear to transform a flat, painted surface into a three-dimensional "window" on the world, so Artschwager's Diptych with its "window" at eye level, plays with our perceptions of surface and space. The title refers to medieval and Renaissance altarpieces, which present the spiritual world in palpable, earthly form. Diptych transcends its importance as an object, and asks questions about perception, the artistic process, and the established criteria for defining and evaluating art.