Corner Splat II, 2009

With this edition, Richard Artschwager reinterprets his earlier Corner Splat work from 1993. Both works ironically imitate Formica, an artificial, stale product of the industrial sector whose name has become part of the American mass culture vocabulary. By suggesting material and perspective in a “false” way, the Corner Splats are in the tradition of trompe l'oeil paintings. A hybrid of painting, sculpture and furniture, these editions by Artschwager confuse our understanding of the objects around us, creating real and imaginary spaces that are exceptions to the hegemonic rationality of everyday life in the West.