Hyperrealism avoids complex subject matters though it emphasizes details, for instance, a flower decorating hair, or a patch of sunlight on the wall. We cannot but mention a series of the artworks by Masha Shubina; she took pictures of herself with a Polaroid camera and then copied them on the canvases of larger formats. She often depicted only a part of her face laying emphasis on the eyes, lips or accessory of the clothing.
Artworks by Norwegian painter Truls Espedal
Difference is obvious with the naked eye
The difference of this art style from Realism is easier to understand through the examples. The painting Luncheon in the Studio by Manet just depicts the reality and the artwork by Truls Espedal reveals the emotional response and perception of the reality by the artist.The other peculiarity of Hyperrealism is the date of the artwork. Popularity of Realism was not always stable; the movement reached the peak of its popularity in late 19th century. Hyperrealism was the latest wave in modern art.
The term Hyperrealism first appeared in 1973; it was coined after the title of the exhibition in Brussels, which demonstrated the artworks of famous photo-realist artists and included emerging painters who would become prominent figures in Hyperrealism. They were Gerhard Richter, Klapheck, Delcol and others.
A lot of Hyperealist artists borrow methods from other art styles. For instance, Chuck Close skillfully applies the pointillist technique to his paintings; Gottfried Helnwein provocatively uses pop-art images or blends the modern subject matters with the classical biblical subjects to shock and kick up a row of viewers and critics.
To understand deeply the basics of the style you have to watch the ideal illustration of Hyperrealism in film making. It is the movie by Aleksei German "It is Hard to be a God."
You are an expert if...
You are an expert if you are able to distinguish Photorealism and Hyperrealism. The artworks by Photorealists resemble technically advanced high-resolution photos. Hyperrrealist artworks are more mysterious. The dominant subject in Photorealism is a landscape or a portrait, while Hyperrealism is focused mostly on details. So, when a photorealist depicts a park in the whole, a hyperrealist would hide a bench in the shadow emphasizing a sunbeam. If a photorealist paints a portrait in general, a hyperrealist would highlight a particular feature of a face.Well known hyperrealist artists
Gerhard Richter, Gottfried Helnwein, Chuck Close, Domenico Gnoli, Masha Shubina (some of her artworks).Iconic artworks
Gerhard Richter, "Betty"Gottfried Helnwein, "Madonna at the Meeting"
Truls Espedal’s series of artworks with birds
Hyper prices
USD37.1 million was the price for the Domplatz, Mailand (Cathedral Square, Milan) by Gerhard Richter, 1968, which was commissioned by the Siemens Elettra Corporation.
