"Each subsequent decade has gotten the hyperrealist sculpture it deserves. Right now we’re living in a moment defined by an erosion of trust in what is and isn’t real..."

"... whether that’s a former president’s election fraud claims or the proliferation of deepfakes and artificial intelligence software. The uncanny valley has transformed from a horror film trope... into a more quotidian concern, as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos propose a fleet of humanoid robots to address the U.S. labor shortage.... Over time, hyperrealism  incorporated elements of extreme exaggeration, which only seemed to heighten the shock of the uncanny. That effect is palpable in, for instance, the Australian artist Ron Mueck’s gargantuan child made of glass fiber, 'Boy' (1999)... the child is nearly 15 feet tall, even crouched in an almost fetal position, and all his details are rendered with excruciating precision. The Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan... has contributed to the hyperrealist tradition for more than 20 years. His funny and disturbing 'La Nona Ora' (1999) shows Pope John Paul II in his papal regalia, writhing in pain on the ground after being struck down by a small meteor. The pope retains an odd dignity, still clutching a staff with a crucifix on it, as if that might help him through this encounter. Two years later, Cattelan made 'Him,' a dreadfully realistic sculpture of Adolf Hitler, kneeling like an altar boy, hands clasped as if in prayer...."

From "Uncanny Art for the Post-Truth Era/As deepfakes and A.I. images proliferate, hyperrealist sculpture has taken on an eerie new relevance" (NYT).

I was looking for the "eerie new relevance," but I got caught up in things that were made 20+ years ago — before "deepfakes and A.I. images" took over. I had to re-skim the article to search for this eerie new stuff, and now I suspect that hyperrealism will become less eerie and relevant as it becomes ordinary and incapable of inspiring us to wonder how it was achieved.