Trompe l’oeil, which translates to “deceive the eye” in French, is an art technique that employs meticulous attention to detail to trick the viewer into perceiving painted objects as real.

These sculptures transform the familiar cardboard box, an emblem of our culture of consumption and disposal, into an object of weight and permanence. In so doing, they are intended to inspire a transformation in the viewer’s perspective.

The objects below appear to be boxes (Amazon boxes with one exception) in various stages: unopened, opened, and crushed and discarded. But this appearance is an illusion. Each sculpture is made of wood, carved and shaped to create the appearance of a box, then all details are carefully painted to complete the work of art.

Different stages can be viewed by clicking “Box Construction Images” above.