Traveller 1988

Duane Hanson made "Traveller", with polyester resin, fiberglass, bondo, and paint—a pretty strange mix! I'm picturing Hanson in his studio, layering all these different materials to make something that looks incredibly real. The paint job is key, getting the skin tones just right, the little details that make it look like a real person, exhausted and slumped on the floor. It's like he's trying to trick us, but it's also kind of vulnerable, right? I can imagine him stepping back, adding another layer, tweaking the pose. I'm thinking about other artists who play with realism and illusion, like maybe some of the photorealist painters. There’s a conversation happening across time, with artists trying to capture the world around them, each in their own weird and wonderful way. Ultimately, it comes down to seeing and feeling, trying to make something that resonates, even if it's a little unsettling.