Helene Appel

A kind of minimalist tromp l'oeil painting is the speciality of this Berlin artist having her first U.S. show. At first glance, her canvases seem to be nearly empty, though a closer inspection reveals what appear to be puddles of water, fishing nets, grains of rice and pieces of Scotch Tape, clinging to raw linen—all of which, in fact, has been meticulously rendered in oil and acrylic. The point may have something to do with the elusiveness of perception and the need to constantly shift your point of view.