if a butterfly ever saw an owl presents an intricate exploration of perception, language, and the nature of photographic representation. Through interconnected series such as “The Anonymous Shapes of Words,” “I Want to Believe Sea Cucumbers Are Happy,” and “Is the Eye I Am Seen As Is the Eye I See Myself Through,” Assaf Evron interrogates how images communicate and how meaning is constructed. These works navigate the tension between abstraction and objecthood, revealing the limits of representation while remaining deeply anchored in the materiality of photography itself.
Evron’s practice engages both philosophical and literary inquiries, reflecting on cameras as tools of language and architecture—both modern and ancient—as a framework for understanding human perception. Each image carries a subtle awareness of its construction, highlighting the mechanics and constraints inherent in photographic processes. Through careful formal experimentation, Evron reveals the illusion of representation while making the camera’s own language the central narrative, asking viewers to question not only what they see but how they interpret it.
Rooted in a study of vision and the interplay between culture and nature, Evron’s work often reflects on the Anthropocene, using photography to capture a sense of loss, melancholy, and the fragility of our world. His investigations extend across two- and three-dimensional media, collapsing boundaries between perception, experience, and material reality. The works invite audiences to contemplate how socially constructed systems—whether linguistic, architectural, or environmental—shape our understanding of both the seen and the unseen.
Born in Israel in 1977 and based in Chicago, Evron combines rigorous academic study with an inventive artistic practice. He holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MA from The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas at Tel Aviv University. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and The Israel Museum in Jerusalem. if a butterfly ever saw an owl invites reflection on vision, meaning, and the poetic intersections of human perception and photographic form.
Image: Parallax No. 6, 2020-2021 20 x 40 in © Rose Marasco
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