Weed (Dandelion)
2025
Tony Matelli's 'Weed (Dandelion)' is a hyperrealistic painted bronze sculpture depicting a small leafy plant appearing to sprout from a gap at the base of a gallery wall. Matelli is renowned for his trompe l'oeil sculptures that blur the boundary between art and everyday reality, transforming overlooked and mundane natural intrusions into objects of careful attention. This unique work carries a Certificate of Authenticity issued by the gallery and measures 17.8 x 25.4 x 20.3 cm. Its convincing naturalism invites viewers to question perception and the persistence of nature within constructed environments.
- Medium
- Painted bronze
- Dimensions
Notes
Unique work. Certificate of Authenticity included, issued by gallery. Work listed as Sold. Signature: Not signed.
Spotted works by Tony Matelli
Artists in conversation
Duane Hanson
American · b. 1925
Hanson created hyperrealistic polyester and fiberglass figures of ordinary Americans that provoked uncanny reactions in viewers, sharing Matelli's commitment to lifelike sculpture that unsettles the boundary between art object and living person.
Ron Mueck
Australian · b. 1958
Mueck produces meticulously detailed figurative sculptures that deploy hyperrealism alongside deliberate distortions of scale to generate psychological unease, closely paralleling Matelli's blend of naturalism and surreal displacement.
John DeAndrea
American · b. 1941
DeAndrea has spent decades casting lifelike human figures in polyester resin with painted surfaces so convincing they provoke double takes, aligning tightly with Matelli's interest in trompe l'oeil illusion and the uncanny presence of the sculpted body.
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