More About Photorealism

There are many different types and styles of art, sometimes called genres. Photorealism, which can also be referred to as “Hyper-Realism,” “Super-Realism,” or “New Realism,” is one such genre. This style of art involves an artist studying a photograph and then attempting to reproduce the image as realistically as possible using his or her chosen medium — be it painting, drawing, or another graphic medium. Many times the images being reproduced involve near-microscopic detail and focus on surface, such as glass, reflections, or the effects of light.

Photorealism, which first began in the late 1960s in California and New York, was given its name by art dealer and gallery owner Louis K. Meisel in 1969. Meisel published a formal five-point definition of the movement, which read:

1. The photorealist uses the camera and photograph to gather information.
2. The photorealist uses a mechanical or semi-mechanical means to transfer the information to the canvas.
3. The photorealist must have the technical ability to make the finished work appear photographic.
4. The artist must have exhibited work as a photorealist by 1972 to be considered one of the central photorealists.
5. The artist must have devoted at least five years to the development and exhibition of photorealist work.

Despite that strict definition, many artists practicing Photorealism didn’t follow those exact guidelines. Some of the early American pioneers of the Photorealism movement included Ralph Goings, Chuck Close, Malcolm Morley, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, Robert Bechtle, Denis Peterson, and Don Eddy. While Photorealism was a largely American movement, there were supporters in Europe as well, particularly in England and France, including English painter John Salt and Swiss painter Franz Gertsch.