See Amazing Sculptures of Everyday Objects Carved From Wood

Randall Rosenthal is one of those artists whose work is impossible to describe without employing some hyperbole. He turns two simple materials—a single block of wood and a little paint—into sculptures better than the best still-life paintings you’ve ever seen.

He creates comic books, stacks of newspaper, baseball cards, money, and more with such attention to detail it's hard to distinguish them from the real deal. Even more remarkable, he doesn’t use a photo or model, but works from memory.

Rosenthal, who lives in New York, graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in the late ‘60s and started his career as a painter before focusing on architectural design and then sculpture.

Of his work, Rosenthal told rh+artmagazine in 2012, “The sculptures I create have no meaning other than trying to create a very strong visual image. I have my own reasons why I think it works but I prefer other meanings are provided by the viewer.”

He added that the sculptures are not meant to be hyperrealistic, and that closer inspection reveals their true wooden nature. Coulda fooled us.

Scroll below to see more of Rosenthal’s work. You can also see (and purchase) his pieces through Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery.

[h/t Kottke]

Courtesy of Randall Rosenthal

Courtesy of Randall Rosenthal

Courtesyof Randall Rosenthal

Courtesy of Randall Rosenthal

Courtesy of Randall Rosenthal

Courtesyof Randall Rosenthal