The Curator's Eye

Fool Me Once | Bill Braun, deception artist

selected by Gunnar Nordstrom, director, Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery

Sunny Sunflower Song, 24 x 34 inches

I first discovered Bill Braun’s  work in late 1991; an employee came to me wanting to introduce me to his work. When I saw it, I thought it was interesting: crinkled craft paper with things like magazine photos stapled onto it. It was fun — third-gradish — but I didn’t think I could sell it. Then I looked closer and realized they were all paintings! It was trompe-l’oeil [French for “tricks the eye”]. I love the way Braun’s work takes you down a path — tricking both the eye and the mind. As the artist says himself: “I have always been attracted to illusion.”  — Gunnar Nordstrom

A blogger in Astoria, Oregon (astoria-rust.blogspot.com), recalls first seeing Braun’s work: “I looked close without touching. It was construction paper on craft paper; I was sure of it. But oddly the staples didn’t seem to reflect the light. I couldn’t resist, I touched and I couldn’t believe it. It was a painting. The shadows were perfect. The colors were perfect. I had been totally fooled.”