Los Angeles-based Charles Ray has described his work as so abstract it becomes real and so real it becomes abstract.24.02.2004 Los Angeles-based Charles Ray has described his work as so abstract it becomes real and so real it becomes abstract. One of the most celebrated and influential artists of his generation, his meticulous sculptures, photographs and films always demand a double take. A fire truck parked on the street turns out to be an over-scaled toy. A black cube - one of Minimalism’s favourite forms - reveals itself to be filled with printer's ink. Sleight of hand is at the heart of Ray's practice, and the perceptual games and shifts of scale in his work command and coerce the viewer to investigate and respond.