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Hyperrealistic Paintings

Art

Hyperrealistic Paintings of Vintage Summertime Kitsch

By Alison Nastasi on

We can practically feel the plastic lawn chairs sticking to the backs of our thighs while looking at the hyperrealistic paintings of Leah Giberson, an artist we discovered on Booooooom. Her fascination with suburban kitsch — Airstream trailers, boats, and other shiny middle-class trophies — may have developed since she was “raised by artists deep in the woods of New Hampshire.” Giberson’s attention to the reflections in the leisure behemoths and surrounding environment offers a quiet and curious narrative. Take a closer look in our gallery. … Read More

Art

Hyperreal Paintings of Desolate, Small-Town America

By Alison Nastasi on

Lonely gas stations, motels, dive restaurants, and abandoned buildings populate the work of painter Rod Penner. His hyperreal creations are sometimes indistinguishable from photographs, and the small Texas towns he paints are poignant in their desolate melancholy. Faith is Torment introduced us to the artist’s work, which at first appears to be lost snapshots from a road trip through small-town America. Pavement and neon never looked so beautiful. See more of Penner’s images in our gallery, below. … Read More

Art

Amazing Hyperreal Paintings of Decadent Desserts

By Alison Nastasi on

We discovered the incredible hyperreal paintings of Luigi Benedicenti at London’s Albemarle Gallery and have been craving sweets all day. The artist’s “extreme realism” lends itself beautifully to his oeuvre of decadent desserts — vibrant and succulent Italian pastries and other treats that look remarkably edible. Syrupy juices, glazed and fleshy fruits, colorful and reflective surfaces, and precise details make Benedicenti’s paintings mouthwatering and truly admirable. Indulge your sweet tooth in our gallery after the jump. … Read More

Art

Hyperreal, Dizzying Paintings of Urban Landscapes

By Alison Nastasi on

One look at the paintings of contemporary British painter Nathan Walsh proves his fascination with urban landscapes, the shadowy corners of cities, and the reflective surfaces of manmade structures gleaming into the skyline. His hyperreal paintings of glossy buildings, majestic bridges, and sidewalk scenes are expansive and dizzying, their heights felt and complexities revealed. Walsh is attuned to the fact that “creating an urban landscape within its own perspectival space has more potential than simply duplicating the flatness of a photograph.” Subtly, the artist alters his sources by shifting perspectives, changing the size of buildings, and sometimes introducing structures found on Google Earth, inventing another kind of reality. Visit Walsh’s beautiful cityscapes past the break. … Read More

Art

Fetishistic, Hyperreal Paintings of Luscious Lips

By Alison Nastasi on

Pouty, pinup-style lips enthrall French artist Hubert de Lartigue. His hyperreal paintings — which are created with an airbrush for the perfect slick, lipgloss-approved sheen — are fetishistic fantasy portraits reminiscent of vintage glamour girl photos and sexy fashion magazine spreads combined. The artist has painted the rest of his models’ bodies before, but his images of curling tongues, pearly smiles, and puckered pouts seem far more enigmatic and seductive. It’s also interesting to see how much someone’s personality rests even in the delicate lines of their mouth. We shared more of De Lartigue’s incredibly detailed and realistic portraits past the break. … Read More

Art

Stunning, Hyperrealistic Paintings of Female Nudes

By Caroline Stanley on

While we’ve shared plenty of hyperrealistic paintings with you over the past few months, these pieces by Mexican artist Omar Ortiz gave us pause. His subject matter — two incredibly beautiful (and nude!) young women — certainly helps the cause. But there’s also something to be said for the fact that we find our attention drawn to his detailed depiction of hands and hair, as opposed to what are perhaps the more obvious targets; there’s a simplicity to his approach that keeps it from feeling gimmicky. Click through to check out his oil paintings of the human body, and let us know in the comments what you think of the work. … Read More

Art

Good Enough to Eat: Hyperrealistic Paintings of Food

By Caroline Stanley on

While Netherlands-born, London-based artist Tjalf Sparnaay calls his style “mega-realism,” all we know is that looking at his oil paintings of food has us already craving some dinner. From capturing the texture of a roll of bread or a crinkled up can of soda to the glossy sheen of a plastic-wrapped lollipop or a bottle of ketchup, his incredibly-detailed work, thanks its subject matter, is both sensual and full of whimsy — like a less sugary version of Will Cotton. Click through for a slide show of some of our favorite items on the menu. … Read More

Art

Hyperrealistic Paintings of Young People Who Are Hiding Something

By Judy Berman on

They may be an gorgeous to look at, but the hyperrealistic paintings that have been so trendy lately can tend to substitute technical skill for real artistic inspiration. That’s why we’re so taken with the work of Jeff Ramirez, a Los Angeles-based artist whose hyperrealistic paintings double as mini-mysteries. Ramirez often depicts his young subjects — most appear to be in their teens or 20s — with their faces obscured: Two friends wear sheets over their heads, ghost-style, with sunglasses over them; a girl disappears into her big, puffy jacket; a young woman stares defiantly out at us, a bandanna covering her nose and mouth. In an interview with Arrested Motion, the artist explained that this approach is a response to digital photography and social networking, which have created and distributed so many supposedly candid photographs that lack what he calls an “emotional truth.” Meet Ramirez’s mysterious subjects and imagine what they’re hiding — or what they’re hiding from – in our gallery after the jump. … Read More

Art

Tos Kostermans’ Bizarre Hyperrealistic Paintings of Celebrities

By Judy Berman on

At first glance, Tos Kostermans’ Bold and Beautiful series might look like a provocative magazine spread or an equally odd cousin of David LaChapelle’s stylized celebrity photos. In fact, these are hyperrealistic paintings, depicting familiar faces in unsettling situations. We see Scarlett Johansson in lingerie and heels with a gun pointed at her and a chiseled male torso in the background. Keith Richards strums his guitar on a fancy hotel bed, while a grotesquely wrinkled elderly woman (no doubt meant to echo his own leathery face) smokes a cigarette. A robed and turbaned Jack Nicholson laughingly leers at a scantily clad dancer. Everyone from Paris Hilton to Tiger Woods to Zach Galifianakis to Muammar el-Qaddafi makes an appearance; uncomfortable juxtapositions of youth and beauty with age and ugliness are themes, as are the exchange of money in sexualized situations. Page through our favorites from Bold and the Beautiful after the jump, then check out more of Kostermans’ work at Behance. … Read More

Art

Hyperrealistic Paintings of Parents, Polaroids

By Caroline Stanley on

Most of us have photos of our parents; London-born, Australia-based artist Robin Eley, whose work we spotted over on Lost At E Minor, creates hyperrealistic oil paintings of his folks — that is, when he’s not busy doing commercial illustrations for publications like the Village Voice and the Wall Street Journal. “By documenting time, I attempt to slow its quickening pace,” he explains, “such that for the briefest of moments there is just the viewer, my painting, and the space between.” In other words, his version of hitting the pause button life is much more dramatic than yours is. Click through to check out a slideshow of his recent portraits of himself and his family, as well as other paintings in the series. … Read More