Richard Haden: Carved Signs August 21, 2012

It is difficult to grasp that the artist's hyper-realist sculptures depicting urban discards are carved out of laminated blocks of mahogany and poplar. The sculptures are copies (with various artist edits) of real found objects. Dented and weathered objects such as a creased trash can lid, a punctured metal briefcase, deteriorating cardboard boxes and a corroded fire extinguisher reveal a history of use and trauma. Salvaged readymades are recontextualized and given a new life along with new possibilities of meaning. Haden's wooden sculptures are meticulously painted with oils, enamel and lacquer in order to achieve the heightened sense of illusion. For example, in the wall-based piece 'Panhandler,' the artist has strikingly replicated the metal surfaces and glossy, colored handle of a battered industrial dustpan.