For centuries, mankind has sought to fix, using various artistic means, not only a completely material surrounding reality, but also its emotions, feelings and feelings. Each era manifested itself in a new or old, but modified art style corresponding to it. Some of them simply went out of fashion and were forgotten, while others became classics and serve as standards today.
Hyperrealism in painting appeared in the middle of the last century, but today it is actively developing. What kind of direction, what is its feature, we will try to tell in this article.
What it is?
To begin with, the word "hyperrealism" is composed of two words: Latin - realis - "real", "real", and Greek - hyper - "over." That is, a detached view of reality as if from the side, from above, outside of situations. Quite often, critics and art critics under the term “new materiality” combine and jointly consider hyperrealism and photorealism, painting, and the work of artists, considering these terms synonymous.
Thus, hyperrealism refers to the artistic direction in painting, based on a photographically accurate reproduction of reality, combining the naturalness of images and at the same time their dramatic alienation.
Art critics note that hyperrealism in painting is close to pop art. They are united by both a complex composition and orientation towards pragmatism and naturalism, sometimes excessive.
A bit of history
The emergence in the United States in the 60s of the 20th century of such a direction as hyperrealism became a noticeable event for the entire world of fine art. The first American hyper-realists are:
- D. Salt, who drew abandoned cars.
- R. Goings and R. Est, depicting the life of cities, reflected in the windows.
- R. Cottingham, the paintings of which are various billboards.
- R. McLian, who wrote horse racing.
The Brussels Art Exhibition , held in 1973, and the catalog published on the occasion of its holding, were called Hyperrealism. In painting, artists were mostly American. But the works of a number of European artists exhibited in this direction were also exhibited: Gnoli, Delcol, Gerhard Richter, Klafek.
Thirty years later, the word "hyperrealism" was used to refer to the style of artists imitating photographs through various means of painting. Their canvases depict modern shop windows and metro stations, technical appliances, buildings and people, various household appliances and household items, food.
Style features
Hyperrealism in painting is characterized by accuracy and dispassion, reproducing the surrounding reality without an emotional attitude on the part of the artist.
A feature of this direction is the imitation of photography and the principle of automatic fixation inherent in it, as well as documentalism and the somewhat mechanical nature of the images. In their canvases, artists of this genre strive to create an atmosphere of some superreality - alienated and static, cold and unemotional, detached from the viewer.
Genres
It is worth noting that hyperrealism in painting has a plot. Three main genres can be distinguished (rather conditionally) in it:
- still life;
- scenery;
- portrait.
However, these are not classical genres, but a special group of plots that can be defined as the objective world - the city and people streets.
Still life
Considering plots that use hyperrealism, creativity, paintings by artists of both American and Russian, it is easy to find some commonality in the careful study of details and the negation of abstract forms, as well as notice the difference in themes and depicted objects. Western hyperrealists are characterized by the image of the achievements of a consumer society (goods in a bright, glossy guise).
Domestic artists of this direction, such as, for example, O. Fleck, R. Goinza, in their canvases mainly represent objects of the surrounding reality (a brick wall or a fence).
Scenery
At first glance at the landscapes of hyperrealist artists, one gets the impression that they are only interested in modern megalopolises and neon signage lights, highways and deserted streets, as well as mundane and seemingly unremarkable manifestations of simple life. In landscape works, you can see empty cities and streets, some artificial ones, filled with a feeling of loneliness and emptiness. Particular attention in the hyper-realistic landscape is given to images of traffic signs acting as fateful signs, and the interweaving of wires that serve as the thread of Ariadne in the modern world.
Portrait
Hyperrealist artists do not copy real people, but accurately and accurately render them in such a way that very realistic images are obtained with the finest details and details worked out.
In this direction, it is customary to use such advanced techniques and techniques of photography and cinema as:
- various optical effects;
- author storyboard;
- shooting from a high point;
- close-up;
- mounting.
Thus, we can say that the artists of hyperrealism create a convincing and colorful illusion of reality, which is more believable in the works than it actually is. The works of this direction symbolically reflect the modern environment and draw our attention to the everyday details of everyday life.