Plumb Coin, 2026, oil on stretched linen, 8 x 16 in. / 20.32 x 40.64 cm.

Plumb Coin, David R. Sterry, 2026, oil on stretched linen, 8 x 16 in. / 20.32 x 40.64 cm.

A worn coin hangs from a red thread, suspended from a nail driven into the painted surface. At first glance, the illusion convincingly invites ones touch. Yet, this is pure deception: a painted coin, a painted thread, a painted nail, even a painted surface of random sketches. What is actually real?