Ron Isaacs
Improve Each Shining Hour, 2010
Acrylic paint on birch plywood
43 1/2 x 27 x 3 3/4 inches
Racine Art Museum, Gift of the Artist
Photography: Jarvis Lawson
Collection Focus: Ron Isaacs
July 2 – October 25, 2025
at Racine Art Museum
What does the work mean? There is some mystery, some beauty, some drama, some surprise, and a little wit. There is much about being human and being part of or apart from the natural world. There is a lot about the passage of time and the persistence of the past. There is a great deal about celebrating the joy of seeing. That said, the content remains nearly as open for me as it does for you, the viewer. —Ron Isaacs
Most of Ron Isaacs’s work—a combination of two-dimensional imagery and cut and sawn wood—operates in an in-between space. Isaacs identifies his work as “trompe l’oeil painted constructions.” He further goes on to state, “I never actually made it to three dimensions; I seem to have stalled at two and a half.”
This exhibition debuts a new-to-RAM archive of works created by Isaacs between 1968 and 2020. This grouping—the scope of which is unmatched at any other organization—includes early acrylic on canvas paintings, a drawing, art jewelry, and over 20 painted wood constructions.
More About the Exhibition
Collection Focus: Ron Isaacs
July 2 – October 25, 2025
at Racine Art Museum
Ron Isaacs
Improve Each Shining Hour, 2010
Acrylic paint on birch plywood
43 1/2 x 27 x 3 3/4 inches
Racine Art Museum, Gift of the Artist
Photography: Jarvis Lawson
What does the work mean? There is some mystery, some beauty, some drama, some surprise, and a little wit. There is much about being human and being part of or apart from the natural world. There is a lot about the passage of time and the persistence of the past. There is a great deal about celebrating the joy of seeing. That said, the content remains nearly as open for me as it does for you, the viewer. —Ron Isaacs
Most of Ron Isaacs’s work—a combination of two-dimensional imagery and cut and sawn wood—operates in an in-between space. Isaacs identifies his work as “trompe l’oeil painted constructions.” He further goes on to state, “I never actually made it to three dimensions; I seem to have stalled at two and a half.”
This exhibition debuts a new-to-RAM archive of works created by Isaacs between 1968 and 2020. This grouping—the scope of which is unmatched at any other organization—includes early acrylic on canvas paintings, a drawing, art jewelry, and over 20 painted wood constructions.
More About the Exhibition
Sample of Work in the Exhibition
Click/tap an image for more information
Exhibitions at RAM are made possible by:
Platinum Partners
The Estate of Karen Johnson Boyd
David Charak
Judith and David Flegel Fund
Ron and Judith Isaacs
The Estate of Marilyn Rothschild
Windgate Foundation
Diamond Partners
Ruffo Family Foundation
Ruth Arts Foundation
Diane Zebell
Gold Partners
Anonymous
Robert E. Kohler Jr. Fund
Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation
Reliance Controls
Trio Foundation of St. Louis
W.T. Walker Group, Inc.
Silver Partners
Anonymous
Bader Philanthropies
Baird
Dave’s Wine Garage
Lucy G. Feller
Ben and Dawn Flegel
Sharon and Tom Harty
Paula Kalke
Horizon Retail Construction, Inc.
Johnson Financial Group
Dorothy MacVicar
Willard and Mary Walker
Bronze Partners
Sandy and Gus Antonneau
Carol Baylon
Rose and Peter Christensen
Educators Credit Union
Patricia and Richard Ehlert
Deborah Ganaway
Carol Griseto
Hitter’s Baseball
Bill and Debbie Keland
Susan Manalli
Norbell Foundation
O&H Danish Bakery
JoAnna Poehlmann
Rasmussen Diamonds
SC Johnson
Harold and Lois Solberg
Kathy Stranghellini
Twin Disc
Janna Waldeck
Barbara Waldman
Marc J. Wollman
Media Sponsor
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