Hyperrealism paintings

Hyperrealism is a genre of painting and sculpture resembling a high-resolution photograph. Hyperrealism is considered an advancement of Photorealism by the methods used to create the resulting paintings or sculptures. The term is primarily applied to an independent art movement and art style in the United States and Europe that has developed since the early 2000′s.

Simon Hennessey

“My paintings are perceived as a reflection of reality but in truth the artwork transcends into its own abstraction of reality. Through using the camera as a visual source for painting I am able to create false illusions that are judged as our own reality.

There are certain qualities produced by the camera that do not & cannot exist in our real world, they are only ever present in the digitized imagery of photography. The visual perceptions of a cameras lens generates a world of distortion in the basics of realism, such as the manipulation of focus, tonality, colour, depth and focal points, as a result presenting us with a false sense of reality: or a hyper reality.

The reduplication and the transformation of media such as a photographic language into a painted language, produces a meticulous calculation within the process of change. Through the mimetic representation of a photographic source I am able to produce paintings that are capable of deceiving the human eye.

My paintings content refers to identity, individuality, appearance and visual attitude. This is exposed through the process of physiognomy, the theory based upon the concept that the study and act of judging a persons outer appearance, primarily the face will give an insight into their personality or character. I add to the process of physiognomy through censorship and never giving the viewer the full content of the image. I regularly desaturate colour, crop, neutralize backgrounds or use a close focal point to present us with a distorted representation of an identity, therefore adding to this false sense of reality.” – Simon Hennessey

Official Website : Simon Hennessey

Please click on the pictures for enlarged view. (Full view recommended)