Photorealism

Photorealism is a movement in painting and sculpture that seeks to reproduce the appearance of a photograph with extraordinary visual accuracy. It emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s, partly in response to the dominance of abstraction and conceptual art. Photorealist artists used photography as both a source and a method for examining ordinary reality.

From Photograph to Painting

Artists often project or carefully study photographic images before transferring them to canvas. The photograph may freeze a fleeting moment, flatten space, crop the subject unexpectedly, or capture details that the human eye would not normally notice. The resulting painting raises questions about originality, mediation, and the difference between seeing and recording.

Everyday Subjects

Photorealist works frequently depict diners, storefronts, cars, streets, portraits, reflections, interiors, and urban signs. These subjects may appear ordinary, yet their precise surfaces reveal complex textures of chrome, glass, skin, fabric, and painted metal.

Important Artists

Richard Estes became known for highly detailed urban scenes filled with reflections and layered architectural surfaces. Chuck Close developed large-scale portraits from photographic sources, while Audrey Flack explored still lifes and symbolic objects. Ralph Goings and Robert Bechtle focused on cars, roadside scenes, and everyday American life.

Legacy

Photorealism influenced contemporary realism, digital image culture, advertising, and representational sculpture. It remains relevant in an age when photographs and computer-generated images constantly shape visual experience.