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Trompe l'oeil refers to a specific tradition within Western art, primarily painting, in which the representation of reality fools the viewer. Literally translated from the French as "deceive the eye," trompe l'oeil attempts to persuade the viewer that the representation is reality, rather than a representation of reality. This practice became prominent in the contemporary ceramics of the 1970s. The work of Richard Shaw, Robert Hudson, and others became known as Super Realism. They replicated actual objects such as tin cans and twigs using the industrial method of slip casting. China paint and ceramic decals were also used to create exacting detail. Shaw's House of Cards is a still life much like those of 19th century painting, but his Lady Walking is an assemblage with surrealistic overtones. These examples represent two veins of trompe l'oeil from that period. Many of the artworks profile mundane subject matter: a studio floor, a briefcase, a garbage can. Others, such as those in the Yixing tradition from China, specialize in creating fantastic images from functional forms-Carrying Bundle and Buddha's Hand teapots. American Richard Notkin is a follower of this tradition as is the Taiwanese ceramist Ah Leon. Leon's Branch Teapot along with Gail Ritchie's Birch Cups are examples of the confusion between nature and art that trompe l'oeil so often typifies.
The Mint Museum of Craft + Design is supported by the Annual Fund Drive of the Arts & Science Council - Charlotte/Mecklenburg, Inc.; the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency; the City of Charlotte; and its members.
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