In its most basic definition, art is the interpretation of a reality through the eyes of the artist. In other words, the idea that art is not real forms the basis of the definition of art. However, the hyperrealist works that we have seen frequently in recent years give rise to the opposite situation. In hyperrealism, one of the newest art movements, painters and sculptors produce paintings and sculptures that are almost exactly the same as reality.
Hyperrealist paintings and sculptures are fascinating, but some artists and art critics do not consider them to be real art because they ask what is art in presenting the exact reflection of reality. Of course, these questions cause even the thousands of years of history of art to be questioned. Let’s take a closer look at what hyperrealism is and see some of the most famous works of this genre.
First, what is hyperrealism?
Hyperrealism is an art movement where paintings and sculptures are made in a high resolution photographic quality. It is almost impossible to distinguish hyperrealist works from a photograph depicting a real object or person. These works can be made with modern techniques as well as using traditional production methods.
Even though reality seems to be reflected exactly in hyperrealist works, in fact, the work in question is a depiction of reality, since it was created by an artist. Unlike the known art movements, the artwork created in the hyperrealism movement and the reality are inseparably similar. This is exactly what the current artists aim at.
So, how did the hyperrealism movement come about?
In order to understand hyperrealism, it is necessary to talk a little about photorealism. Photorealism is the first to emerge from these movements, which have fundamental differences even though they are almost the same. Photorealism emerged in the 1960s as a reaction to the pop art and abstract expressionism movements. With the development of photographic technologies, the number of artists participating in the photorealism movement has increased.
It is a reference photograph in photorealist works. The artist aims to create an exact copy of the photograph he refers to in his painting or sculpture. Lighting effects, shading, special textures and surfaces are used to achieve this goal. Since it is a photograph taken as a reference in photorealist works, what is seen in the resulting work is as real as in the photograph.
Hyperrealism, which we came to the 1970s, emerged to change this situation. The goal is still the same, to make works that those who see cannot distinguish from the real. However, with one difference, what is told in the work does not have to be true. At this point, the artist’s interpretation comes into play, and what is described in a hyperrealist work does not have to be true, even if it seems completely realistic.
Differences between hyperrealism and photorealism:
If you do not follow the developments in the art world closely or do not know all the currents, it may not be possible for you to know or even notice the difference between hyperrealism and photorealism. These two currents, which are already related to each other, are basically the same, but the difference between them completely changes this basis.
Photorealist artist takes a photo or finds a photo. He takes his materials and reflects what he sees in this photograph, which he references, in the most realistic way in his work. The hyperrealist artist, on the other hand, can refer to a photograph if he wishes. He takes his materials and reflects what he takes as a reference, or more interestingly, what he thinks, to his work in the most realistic way.
Let’s explain, the hyperrealist artist does not reflect whatever is in his work. He can add wings to a sad looking woman when he reflects on his work in the most realistic way. She can put a halo on the head of a dying child. She can replace the bullet of a soldier who is about to kill her enemy with a clove. However, it reflects all this so realistically that the person who sees this work may think it is a photograph.
Is hyperrealism art?
At this point, let’s push our readers a little and ask the questions of the philosophy of art for thousands of years; what is art, who is the artist, why is art made? If you are doing an academic study, you will definitely find a definite answer to these questions, but if you are an artist or a philosopher, you know best that there is no definite answer to these questions.
As we mentioned in the introduction, art is basically the artist’s telling of the truth through his own interpretations of his work, and he makes art to convey his own thoughts. Well, if we see the exact reflection of reality in a hyperrealist work and even if we cannot distinguish this work from a real photograph, can we say that hyperrealism is an art?
Hyperrealism is not accepted as an art by classical artists and art critics, but even a banana stuck to the wall as a work of art in today’s world is a hyperrealist work that is made as a result of maybe months of work. Even if it is a reflection of the exact reality, reflecting this reality exactly is also an interpretation of the artist.
Colors and their meanings in hyperrealism:
Since we see the exact reflection of reality in hyperrealist works, psychology, which is a science that investigates the truth, is also used. Psychological studies reveal that each color has a different effect on people. Hyperrealist artists also use certain colors specially to give some emotions in their works.
- Black is used for power, sophistication, death, evil, mystery.
- White color is used for purity, light, simplicity, hope and cleanliness.
- Red color is used for passion, danger, excitement, romance, urgency.
- Blue color is used for calmness, peace, integrity, self-confidence, sincerity.
- Yellow is used for joy, energy, warmth, attention, intelligence.
- Green color is used for growth, life, money, freshness, relaxation.
- Gray color is used for confidence, authority, maturity, strong character, stability.
- Purple color is used for luxury, magic, wisdom, vision.
- Pink color is used for love, beauty, sensitivity, sincerity, sophistication.
Russian artist Michael Zajkov, who has been sculpting realistic dolls since 2010:
Singaporean artist Keng Lye, who painted 3D aquatic animals:
Examining how subjectivity affects our visual perceptions, artist Gregory Thielker:
Italian artist Franco Clun, whose charcoal works look like black and white photographs:
Artist John Baeder depicting the social life of the postwar United States:
American artist John DeAndrea, who describes human nature with all its nakedness:
Dutch artist Tjalf Sparnaay, who creates everyday objects in his oil painting works:
Australian artist Robin Eley, who has created portraits with geometric designs:
We answered the question of what is hyperrealism, an art movement that aims to reflect reality exactly by making paintings and sculptures as realistic as a photograph, and talked about the debates about this movement and the most important artists of the genre. Is hyperrealism an art? You can share your thoughts in the comments.
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