Good visuals excite me.
The beauty of nature mesmerizes me.
Memories of Pakistan nostalgia-te me.
Position of women worries me.
Chauvinists exasperate me.
Preachers of false dogmas enrage me.
Terrorism sickens me.
Extremists frustrate me.
Moral policing infuriates me.
The lost community baffles me.
Racism saddens me.
Political bastards need to get a life!

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Saturday, January 2, 2010

Photorealism and Hyper-Realism

This branch of art is absolutely unique, and an entirely different world altogether. I sometimes wonder, why a certain composition is used for painting, and not just photographed instead, and what makes a photograph so legitimate? What is it, that is making both work? Photorealism and Hyper-Realism [p&h] (the latter is just an advancement of the former, but basically work on the same criteria) really yells out this difference. This format is about creating images that resemble high resolution photographs, or painting directly from a photograph. So it is basically giving an entirely different meaning to a photograph, and strangely, I've noticed, that the compositions used for this art may not work as well for photography.

What is really catchy about these works is the immense detail that goes into the creation of a piece, and the vibrancy, urgency it demands. What works best in this art, in my personal opinion, is not nature landscapes, but urbanism. Symmetry, industrialism, high-sheen surfaces, reflection, flow, light, rawness, strength of line are all the characteristics that really make p&h work. These are very modern pieces of work, and truly represent this era that we live in.


I have a few favorites:

1. Richard Estes: Master of p&h! As I said, nature landscaped don't work in this form, so even if Estes does them, I don't like them! Except for when he adds that urbanism in the nature landscapes. And with that, the strength of nature also comes out. But he knows how to do it properly!
























2. Ralph Goings: If it's going to be a still life, it has to be done by Goings! It's not just in the technique, it all lies in the composition! (and his choice of objects is great too!)






























3. Robert Standish: Talking about strong compositions, Standish's combination of urbanism and composition, in relation to the art form at hand, is delightfully sinful!

























4. Ron Mueck: p&h goes beyond just paintings, Mueck brings it to life with his life-like sculptures! His giaganomous sculptures capture the mundane, but their ogre-like existence gives them a new life. You'd have to touch it to believe it that it's not real.



























5. Alyssa Monks: I'm a sucker for materials like water and glass. Alyssa uses both with such strength, I was really amazed that these weren't photographs! Her composition and color palette is divine! I love it!



























6. Eric Christensen: Since p&h is also a technique, which must take a lot of practice to master, this particular artist is not really a fave, but a special mention truly for his brilliance and mastery with which he handles glass and sunlight. He is a celebrated Wine Country artist, and completely self-taught. His technique would shy away photographers! Bravo!











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