Eye & the Heart

At first glance, Ingle's lavishly detailed still lifes look as though they might have been painted by a 17th century Dutch master. But look again, and his meticulous, oversize renditions of toy trains, crystal bowls, ripened pears and oriental carpets are unmistakably rooted in the 20th century. This contemporary realist from Minnesota refers to his paintings as ""reports'' or ``investigations,'' and, indeed, they are deep, sensuous meditations on the nature of external reality. At times their subject matterantique tables, strawberries on a doily, gourmet chocolatesseems carefully chosen to bespeak upper-middle-class comfort and domesticity. But their real value lies in the artist's quiet, penetrating gaze. This tie-in with a touring exhibition includes 43 color reproductions and an interpretive essay by Camp, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. (April)