Oak Hide is one of Joel Murnan’s most subtle, ironic, and unsettling works—a play of material, a play with optical illusion. Cast from the bark of a living Valley Oak, the piece resembles an animal hide pinned to the wall, like a hunter’s trophy. But the prey here is not a beast—it’s the tree.

Using layers of liquid latex to mold the tree’s surface, Joel transforms something living and singular into something flattened and repeatable. The bark, once textured and tactile, becomes a ghostly impression—soft, pliable, almost skin-like. The irony runs deep: what looks like respect for nature also feels like a sign of control. In this work, Joel seems to invite viewers to reflect on how we consume and preserve the natural world, often in the same gesture.