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PHOTOREALISM: A CLOSER LOOK
March 31 – May 30, 2009 Gallery
Reception: Thursday, April 2, 5:30 – 7:30
WORKS BY: John Baeder, Tom Blackwell, Thomas Boone, Robert Gniewek, Ralph Goings, James Gucwa, Gus Heinze, Cheryl Kelley, Ron Kleeman, Bertrand Meniel, Cesar Santander
San Francisco Chronicle Review, Saturday, May 16, 2009
View as PDF or Go to SFGate article (scroll down) |
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Scott Richards Contemporary Art is pleased to present Photorealism: A Closer Look, a comprehensive group exhibition which presents a collection of recent works by “first generation” Photorealists, such as Ralph Goings, Tom Blackwell and Robert Gniewek as well as younger artists such as Bertrand Meniel, Cesar Santander and Ron Kleeman. The show will also introduce new comers to the movement: Thomas Boone’s lush Florida scenery and Cheryl Kelley’s energized car paintings.
Initially pioneered by Robert Bechtle, Richard Estes and Ralph Goings, Photorealism began in the United States in the late 1960s, evolving from Pop Art in response Abstract Expressionism. Working independently of each other, the Photorealists painted from photographs and reproduced their subjects with rigorous precision. While initially employing projectors and grid techniques, in the 1990’s the movement experienced a renewed interest with the advent of digital technology. Photorealist works inspire a sense of awe at the variety of detail and technical rigor that realistically depict familiar scenes from everyday life -- landscapes, architectural elements, still lifes of everyday or mass-produced items, cars, and motorcycles -- with complex reflective surfaces and intricate arrangements of objects.
The exhibition at Scott Richards Contemporary Art features a selection of works by varied Photorealist painters, ranging from original members such as Ralph Goings, to recently emerging talent Cheryl Kelley. Featured as the centerpiece of the exhibition is Pont Neuf, an extremely intricate urban landscape by French painter, Bertrand Meniel. James Gucwa, Gus Heinze and Robert Gniewek present sceneries with distinct American flavor, while Thomas Boone’s botanical works portray abundant tropical foliage in sharp focus. With super-saturated color and exaggerated form, Cesar Santander paints a vivid cornucopia of commercially produced Disney toys, and Tom Blackwell, Ron Kleeman and Cheryl Kelley explore the shiny surfaces and sensuous curves of sports cars and motorcycles.
Demonstrating incredible skill, Photorealist works are an integral part of numerous prestigious museum and private collections. Ralph Goings lives and works in California, where he initially distinguished himself as one of the original members of Photorealism. Since the 1970’s the works of Ron Kleeman, Tom Blackwell and Robert Gniewek exemplify the hot-flashy genre of the movement that developed on the East Coast. Due to their astonishing detail and vivid imagery the works of French painter, Bertrand Meniel have received international renown. From Houston, TX, Cheryl Kelley is the youngest addition to this movement. Her seductively realistic car paintings are quickly garnering attention throughout the United States and Europe. |
