Photorealism is a genre of art that encompasses

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and a ...

drawing Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayo ...

and other graphic media, in which an artist studies a

photograph A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now create ...

and then attempts to reproduce the image as realistically as possible in another

medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation * Medium bomber, a class of war plane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium ...

. Although the term can be used broadly to describe artworks in many different media, it is also used to refer specifically to a group of paintings and painters of the American

art movement An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a specific period of time, (usually a few months, years or decades) or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defin ...

that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

History

Origins

As a full-fledged art movement, Photorealism evolved from Pop ArtLindey (1980), pp. 27–33.Meisel and Chase (2002), pp. 14–15. Nochlin, Linda, "The Realist Criminal and the Abstract Law II", ''Art In America.'' 61 (November–December 1973), p. 98. and as a counter to

Abstract Expressionism Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...

as well as Minimalist art movementsBattock, Gregory. Preface to Meisel, Louis K. (1980), ''Photorealism''. New York: Abrams. pp. 8–10 in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States. Photorealists use a photograph or several photographs to gather the information to create their paintings and it can be argued that the use of a

camera A camera is an optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), with ...

and photographs is an acceptance of

Modernism Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...

. However, the admittance to the use of photographs in Photorealism was met with intense criticism when the movement began to gain momentum in the late 1960s, despite the fact that visual devices had been used since the fifteenth century to aid artists with their work.Scharf, Aaron (1969), ''Art and Photography'' Baltimore: Allan Lane, The Penguin Press. Louis K. Meisel states in his books and lectures the following: The invention of photography in the nineteenth century had three effects on art: portrait and scenic artists were deemed inferior to the photograph and many turned to photography as careers; within nineteenth- and twentieth-century art movements it is well documented that artists used the photograph as source material and as an aid—however, they went to great lengths to deny the fact fearing that their work would be misunderstood as imitations; and through the photograph's invention artists were open to a great deal of new experimentation. Thus, the culmination of the invention of the photograph was a break in art's history towards the challenge facing the artist—since the earliest known cave drawings—trying to replicate the scenes they viewed. By the time the Photorealists began producing their bodies of work the photograph had become the leading means of reproducing reality and abstraction was the focus of the art world.

Realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: * Classical Realism *Literary realism, a mov ...

continued as an ongoing art movement, even experiencing a reemergence in the 1930s, but by the 1950s modernist critics and Abstract Expressionism had minimalized realism as a serious art undertaking. Though Photorealists share some aspects of American realists, such as

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realist painter and printmaker. While he is widely known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching. Hopper created subdued drama ...

, they tried to set themselves as much apart from traditional realists as they did Abstract Expressionists.Lindey (1980), p. 12. Photorealists were much more influenced by the work of Pop artists and were reacting against Abstract Expressionism. Pop Art and photorealism were both reactionary movements stemming from the ever-increasing and overwhelming abundance of photographic media, which by the mid 20th century had grown into such a massive phenomenon that it was threatening to lessen the value of imagery in art.Chase, p. 14.Prown, Jules David and Rose, Barbara (1977), ''American Painting: From the Colonial Period to the Present''. New York:Rizzoli. However, whereas the Pop artists were primarily pointing out the absurdity of much of the imagery (especially in commercial usage), the Photorealists were trying to reclaim and exalt the value of an image. The association of photorealism with ''

trompe-l'œil ''Trompe-l'œil'' ( , ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. ''Trompe l'oeil'', which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into ...

'' is a wrongly attributed comparison, an error in observation or interpretation made by many critics of the 1970s and 1980s.Fleming, John and Honour, Hugh (1991), ''The Visual Arts: A History,'' 3rd Edition. New York: Abrams. p. 709. . ''Trompe-l'œil'' paintings attempt to "fool the eye" and make the viewer think he is seeing an actual object, not a painted one. When observing a Photorealist painting, the viewer is always aware that they are looking at a painting.

Definition

The word ''Photorealism'' was coined by

Louis K. Meisel Louis K. Meisel (born 1942 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American author, art dealer and proponent of the photorealist art movement, having coined the term in 1969. He is also the owner of one of the earliest art galleries in SoHo at 141 Prince Stre ...

Meiselgallery.com
/ref> in 1969 and appeared in print for the first time in 1970 in a Whitney Museum catalogue for the show "Twenty-two Realists."Meisel (1989), p. 12. It is also sometimes labeled as Super-Realism,

New Realism New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, Sharp Focus Realism, or

Hyper-Realism Hyperrealism is a genre of painting and sculpture resembling a high-resolution photograph. Hyperrealism is considered an advancement of photorealism by the methods used to create the resulting paintings or sculptures. The term is primarily app ...

. Louis K. Meisel, two years later, developed a five-point definition at the request of Stuart M. Speiser, who had commissioned a large collection of works by the Photorealists, which later developed into a traveling show known as 'Photo-Realism 1973: The Stuart M. Speiser Collection', which was donated to the Smithsonian in 1978 and is shown in several of its museums as well as traveling under the auspices of 'site'. The definition for the 'originators' was as follows:

# The Photo-Realist uses the camera and photograph to gather information. # The Photo-Realist uses a mechanical or semi-mechanical means to transfer the information to the canvas. # The Photo-Realist must have the technical ability to make the finished work appear photographic. # The artist must have exhibited work as a Photo-Realist by 1972 to be considered one of the central Photo-Realists. # The artist must have devoted at least five years to the development and exhibition of Photo-Realist work.Meisel (1980), p. 13.

Styles

Photorealist painting cannot exist without the

. In Photorealism, change and movement must be frozen in time which must then be accurately represented by the artist. Photorealists gather their imagery and information with the camera and photograph. Once the photograph is developed (usually onto a photographic slide) the artist will systematically transfer the image from the photographic slide onto

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, shelters, as a support for oil painting and for other items for which sturdiness is required, as well as in such fashion objects as handbag ...

es. Usually this is done either by projecting the slide onto the canvas or by using traditional grid techniques. The resulting images are often direct copies of the original photograph but are usually larger than the original photograph or slide. This results in the photorealist style being tight and precise, often with an emphasis on imagery that requires a high level of technical prowess and

virtuosity ''Virtuosity'' is a 1995 American science fiction action film directed by Brett Leonard and starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Howard W. Koch Jr. served as an executive producer for the film. The film was released in the United Stat ...

to simulate, such as

reflection Reflection or reflexion may refer to: Science and technology * Reflection (physics), a common wave phenomenon ** Specular reflection, reflection from a smooth surface *** Mirror image, a reflection in a mirror or in water ** Signal reflection, in ...

s in specular surfaces and the

geometric Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is ca ...

rigor of man-made environs.

Artists

The first generation of American Photorealists includes the painters

Richard Estes Richard Estes (born May 14, 1932 in Kewanee, Illinois) is an American artist, best known for his photorealist paintings. The paintings generally consist of reflective, clean, and inanimate city and geometric landscapes. He is regarded as one of ...

Ralph Goings Ralph Goings (May 9, 1928 – September 4, 2016) was an American painter closely associated with the Photorealism movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was best known for his highly detailed paintings of hamburger stands, pick-up trucks ...

Chuck Close Charles Thomas Close (July 5, 1940 – August 19, 2021) was an American painter, visual artist, and photographer who made massive-scale photorealist and abstract portraits of himself and others. Close also created photo portraits using a very l ...

Charles Bell Sir Charles Bell (12 November 177428 April 1842) was a Scottish surgeon, anatomist, physiologist, neurologist, artist, and philosophical theologian. He is noted for discovering the difference between sensory nerves and motor nerves in the spin ...

Audrey Flack Audrey L. Flack (born May 30, 1931) is an American artist. Her work pioneered the art genre of photorealism and encompasses painting, sculpture, and photography. Flack has numerous academic degrees, including both a graduate and an honorary doct ...

Don Eddy Don Eddy (born 1944) is a contemporary representational painter.Martin, Alvin. "Spaces of the Mind: New paintings by Don Eddy," ''Arts'', February 1987, p. 22–3.Baker, Kenneth"Don Eddy,"''Artforum'', March 1972. Retrieved March 4, 2021. He ga ...

Robert Bechtle Robert Alan Bechtle (May 14, 1932 – September 24, 2020) was an American painter, printmaker, and educator. He lived nearly all his life in the San Francisco Bay Area and whose art was centered on scenes from everyday local life. His paintings ar ...

, Ron Kleemann, Richard McLean,

John Salt John Salt (2 August 1937 – 13 December 2021) was an English artist, whose greatly detailed paintings from the late 1960s onwards made him one of the pioneers of the photorealism, photorealist school. Although Salt's work developed through ...

, , and

Tom Blackwell Thomas Leo Blackwell (1938 – April 8, 2020) was an American hyperrealist of the original first generation of Photorealists, represented by Louis K. Meisel Gallery. Blackwell is one of the Photorealists most associated with the style. He produ ...

.Meisel (1980) Often working independently of each other and with widely different starting points, these original Photorealists routinely tackled mundane or familiar subjects in traditional art genres--

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

s (mostly urban rather than naturalistic),

portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this ...

s, and

still life A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or man-made (drinking glasses, bo ...

s. With the birth of the Photorealist movement, many painters who were related to Photorealism, continued to pursue and refine their techniques; they became the second generation of Photorealists. These painters included

John Baeder John Baeder (born December 24, 1938) is an American painter closely associated with the photorealist movement. He is best known for his detailed paintings of American roadside diners and eateries. Early life John Baeder was born in 1938 in So ...

Hilo Chen Hilo Chen (born October 15, 1942 in Yilan, Taiwan) is a Taiwanese-born American painter. He is best known for his photorealistic paintings of the female figure. He lives and works in New York. His work is in major museum collections throughout ...

, Jack Mendenhall, David Parrish and

Idelle Weber Idelle Lois Weber (born Tessie Pasternack; March 12, 1932 – March 23, 2020) was an American artist most closely aligned with the Pop art and Photorealist movements. Early life Weber was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 12, 1932 as Tessie Pa ...

. In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, photorealist approaches were favoured by many artists including Mike Gorman and Eric Scott. The introduction of these European painters to a wider US audience was brought about through the 1982 'Superhumanism' exhibition at the Arnold Katzen Gallery, New York. Though the movement is primarily associated with painting, Duane Hanson and

John DeAndrea John De Andrea (born November 24, 1941) is an American sculptor known for his realistic sculptures of human figures, dressed or nude and in true-to-life postures. Life De Andrea was born in Denver, Colorado, on November 24, 1941. He receive ...

are

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

s associated with photorealism for their painted, lifelike sculptures of average people that were complete with simulated

hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and fi ...

and real clothes. They are called ''Verists.''

Since 2000

Though the height of Photorealism was in the 1970s, the movement continues and includes several of the original photorealists as well as many of their contemporaries. According to Meisel and Chase's ''Photorealism at the Millennium'', only eight of the original thirteen photorealists were still creating Photorealist work in 2002. As of September 2020,

is the only remaining original Photorealist actively working in the Photorealist style. Artists

John Kacere John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, Ron Kleemann have died;

, and have moved away from Photorealism; and

Robert Cottingham Robert Cottingham (born 1935 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American artist known for his paintings and prints of urban American landscapes showing building facades, neon signs, movie marquees, railroad heralds and shop fronts.

no longer considers himself a photorealist. Newer Photorealists are building upon the foundations set by the original Photorealists. Examples would be the influence of Richard Estes in works by Anthony Brunelli or the influence of Ralph Goings and Charles Bell in works by Glennray Tutor. However, this has led many to move on from the strict definition of photorealism as the emulation of the photograph. Photorealism is also no longer simply an American art movement. Starting with Franz Gertsch in the 1980s Clive Head, Raphaella Spence, Bertrand Meniel, and

Roberto Bernardi Roberto Bernardi (born 1974 in Todi, Italy) is a photorealist painter who explores the beauty of everyday life though the reflections and transparencies in his still life paintings, using as his main subject plates and glasses, kitchens applia ...

are several European artists associated with photorealism that have emerged since the mid-1990s. This internationalization of photorealism is also seen in photorealist events, such as

The Prague Project The Prague Project was an art project involving the photorealist painters Anthony Brunelli, Clive Head, Bertrand Meniel and Raphaella Spence, and the writer Michael Paraskos, held in Prague in 2003. It culminated in an exhibition at the Roberson Mus ...

, in which American and non-American photorealist painters have traveled together to locations including Prague, Zurich, Monaco and New York, to work alongside each other in producing work. The evolution of technology has brought forth photorealistic paintings that exceed what was thought possible with paintings; these newer paintings by the photorealists are sometimes referred to as "

Hyperrealism Jean Baudrillard ( , , ; 27 July 1929 – 6 March 2007) was a French sociologist, philosopher and poet with interest in cultural studies. He is best known for his analyses of media, contemporary culture, and technological communication, as ...

."Meisel and Chase (2002) With new technology in cameras and digital equipment, artists are able to be far more precision-oriented and can produce imagery using a wider range of media. The artist Bill Fink has developed his own technique for creating photorealistic images using soil, pollen, human hair, and cremated human remains. Photorealism's influence and popularity continues to grow, with new books such as

Juxtapoz ''Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine'' (pronounced ''JUX-tah-pose'') is a magazine created in 1994 by a group of artists and art collectors including Robert Williams, Fausto Vitello, C.R. Stecyk III (a.k.a. Craig Stecyk), Greg Escalante, and Eric ...

's 2014 book entitled ''Hyperreal'' detailing current trends within the artistic genre.

List of photorealists

;Original photorealists Significant artists whose work helped define Photorealism: *

(born 1938) *

(1932–2020) *

(1935–1995) *

(1938–2020) *

(1940–2021) *

(born 1935) *

(born 1944) *

(born 1932) *

(born 1931) *

(1928–2016) *

Ian Hornak Ian Hornak (January 9, 1944 – December 9, 2002) was an American draughtsman, painter and printmaker. He was one of the founding artists of the Hyperrealist and Photorealist fine art movements; credited with having been the first Photorea ...

(1944–2002) *

Howard Kanovitz Howard Kanovitz (February 9, 1929 – February 2, 2009) was a pioneering painter in the Photorealist and Hyperrealist Movements, which emerged in the 1960s and 1970s in response to the abstract art movement. Howard Kanovitz, whose 50-year car ...

(1929–2009) *

(1920–1999) * Ron Kleemann (1937–2014) *

Malcolm Morley Malcolm A. Morley (June 7, 1931 – June 1, 2018) was a British-American artist and painter. He was known as an artist who pioneered in varying styles, working as a photorealist and an expressionist, among many other styles. Life Morley was ...

(1931–2018) *

(born 1937) *Ben Schonzeit (born 1942) ;Photorealists Significant artists whose work meets the criteria of Photorealism: *Linda BaconMeisel (2002) *Mike Bayne *

(born 1974) *Arne Besser *Anthony Brunelli (born 1968) *

Bryan Charnley Bryan Charnley (20 September 1949 – 19 July 1991) was a British artist who had paranoid schizophrenia, and explored its effects in his work. He committed suicide in July 1991. Early life and flower paintings Bryan John Charnley was born on 2 ...

(1949–1991) *

(born 1942) *Davis Cone (born 1950)Meisel (1993) *Randy Dudley (born 1950) * Franz Gertsch (born 1930) *Robert Gniewek (born 1951) *

Gus Heinze Gus Heinze (born May 1, 1926 in Bremen, Germany) is an American photorealist painter. Early work From 1947-1950, Heinze studied under Robert Weaver, Howard Trafton, and Robert Ward Johnson at the School of Visual Arts and the Art Students Leag ...

(born 1926) *

Gottfried Helnwein Gottfried Helnwein (born 8 October 1948) is an Austrian-Irish visual artist. He has worked as a painter, draftsman, photographer, muralist, sculptor, installation and performance artist, using a wide variety of techniques and media. His work is ...

(born 1948) *Don Jacot (born 1949) *Noel Mahaffey (born 1944) *Dennis James Martin (1956–2001) *Jack Mendenhall (born 1937) *Kim Mendenhall *Betrand Meniel (born 1961) *Reynard Milici (born 1942) *

Robert Neffson Robert Neffson (born December 28, 1949) is an American painter known for his photorealistic street scenes of various cities around the world, museum interiors and for early still lifes and figure paintings. Life Neffson was born in New York City ...

(born 1949) * William Nichols (born 1942)Lamagna, Catherine. "William A. Nichols," ''Arts Magazine'', September 1979, p. 15. *

Jerry Ott Jerry Duane Ott (born 1947) is an American artist. He is best known for his photorealism work and creative use of painting surfaces. His latest technical development are paintings wrapped across two- and three-dimensional surfaces. They range fr ...

(born 1947) *

James Torlakson James "Jim" Daniel Torlakson (born February 19, 1951), is an American artist known for his photorealist oil paintings, watercolors and aquatint intaglio etchings. He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Early life Born in San Francisco, Cali ...

(born 1951) * Denis PetersonThompson, Graham (2007), ''American Culture in the 1980s (Twentieth Century American Culture)'' Edinburgh Press *

Tjalf Sparnaay Tjalf Sparnaay (born 1954, Haarlem, Netherlands) is a Dutch artist, photographer, illustrator and painter. Early life Born in Haarlem, Tjalf lived with his parents for much of his younger years. Sparnaay was educated to become a sports teacher ...

(born 1954) *Paul Staiger (born 1941) * Glennray Tutor (born 1950)Gibson, Eric (1999), ''Outward Bound: Contemporary American Art''. Lunenburg, Vermont: Stinehour Press Publishers. *Rod Penner (born 1965) *

Raphaella Spence Raphaella Beatrice Spence (born 1978) is a British photorealist and hyperrealist painter. Biography Spence was born in London, England in 1978. At the age of twelve, she moved to Rome, Italy, with her family, where she completed her studi ...

(born 1978) *

(1932–2020) ;Other photorealists *

Clive Head Clive Head (born 1965) is a painter from Britain. Biography Head was born in Maidstone, Kent, the son of a machine operator at Reed's Paper Mill in Aylesford. He was born to Swazi parents but developed vitiligo at a young age. Head had a preco ...

(born 1965)Head, Clive (2004) "Post-Photoreal Painting" in Brunelli, Anthony; Head, Clive; Menie, Bertrand Meniel; and Spence, Raphaella (2004), ''The Prague Project'' Binghamton, New York: Roberson Museum and Science Center

References

Bibliography

* Auping, Michael; Bishop, Janet; Ray, Charles; and Weinberg, Jonathan (2005), ''

: A Retrospective''. Berkeley, California:

University of California Press The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by facul ...

. . * Chalumeau, Jean-Luc (2007), ''Peinture et Photographie: Pop art, figuration narrative, hyperréalisme, nouveaux pop''. Paris: Editions du Chêne. . * Chase, Linda (1988), ''

: Essay/Interview''. New York: Abrams. . * Chase, Linda (ed.) (2001), ''Photorealism: The Liff Collection''. Naples, Florida:

Naples Museum of Art The Baker Museum (formerly the Naples Museum of Art) is part of Artis–Naples, a multidisciplinary organization that also is the home of the Naples Philharmonic, located at 5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard, Naples, Florida. The museum, opened in 2000, ...

. . * Geldzahler, Henry and Meisel, Louis K. (1991), ''

: The Complete Works, 1970–1990''. New York: Abrams. . * Lindey, Christine (1980), ''Superrealist Painting and Sculpture'', New York: William Morrow and Company. * Meisel, Louis K. (1989), ''Photorealism''. New York: Abradale/Abrams. . * Meisel, Louis K. (1993), ''Photorealism Since 1980''. New York: Abrams. . * Meisel, Louis K. and Chase, Linda. (2002), ''Photorealism at the Millennium''. New York: Abrams. . * Meisel, Louis K. and Perreault, John (1986), ''

: The Complete Paintings, 1966-1985''. New York: Abrams. . * Paraskos, Michael (2013), ''Scarborough Realists Now''. London: Orage Press. . * Paraskos, Michael (2010), ''

''. London: Lund Humphries. . * Wilmerding, John (2006), ''

''. New York: Rizzoli. .

External links

* {{Westernart Art movements American art movements Contemporary art movements Modern paintings