trompe l'oiel is people

Alexa Meade has a way of panting people which is simply something else.  Looking at the above photos, you might think "Sure, they're great and all, but I've seen other artists do similar."  But have you?  Because then you see these:

I say again: Alexa Meade has a way of painting people.

I urge you to check out her portfolio, gallery page, or Flickr portfolio.  Challenge yourself.  I find that the eyes, hair, and surroundings are generally the things that give it away.  But only if you're looking for them.  Because this girl is good.  Plus, she's based in D.C.!  You can bet that I'll be making it to her next show, oh boy.  Here's the statement from her portfolio page:

Alexa Meade has innovated a Trompe-L’Oeil painting technique that can perceptually compress three-dimensional space into a two-dimensional plane. Her work is a fusion of installation, painting, performance, photography, and video art.

Rather than painting a representational picture on a flat canvas, Meade paints her representational image directly on top of her three-dimensional subjects. The subject and its representation become one and the same. Essentially, her art imitates life on top of life.