Hyper-Realist Sculpture: Can You Tell What’s Real and What Isn’t?

Have you ever stopped to wonder what exactly is real and what isn’t? Many of us live a large part of our lives online, and with modern technology, we can “be” whoever we want to be. We can make an avatar and develop an online persona to create something that seems very real, even if it isn’t. It makes you wonder if that in itself could change our perception of what is actually considered real.

Art is another area where the distinction between real and not real is blurry and sometimes even distorted. The best illustration I can think of to describe this is hyper-realist sculpture. Every single time I see this type of artwork, I just have to stop and stare. I have no idea how these artists can capture the emotion, the detail, the impurities, the blemishes, the beauty and everything else that makes up a human face. These particular sculptures below are created by Jamie Salmon. As you see, he is a master of hyper-realist art.

These are pictures of sculptures, not actual people. To see more of his work, check out his website here. Another artist who has fun blurring that line between what is real and what isn’t is Alyssa Monks. She is unbelievable. See what I mean in her shower scene paintings: You’ve Never Seen a Shower Scene Like This Before!

“Reality is merely an illusion albeit a very persistent one.” ~ Albert Einstein