Compare and Contrast Essay on Photorealism and Pop Art

Talk of art and, the first thing that comes to our mind is visual images. Every work of art is meant to appeal to our sight. Thus said, from the early 1960s, when pop art and photorealism were coming into play, these visual effects were already in place. Long before they emerged, people were still using visual images to convey messages. For instance, the abstract expressionists and minimalists were also in existence and using visual art. It is them that photorealists meant to contrast as they try to exalt the glory of the images they produced.

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It is worth mentioning that the primary contrast between the earlier visual artists and photorealists is that while the former involves some measure of spontaneity and minimal to no planning, the latter is characterized by thorough preparation (Letze). Again, while the former involved more of reality that imagery, the latter tried to merge the two by combining what is real with the imaginary. Thus said, photorealists are more of the modern visual artists who have embraced the use of the camera in their works of art.

Pop art also emerged in the early 1960s and became the benchmark from which photorealists drew their inspiration. Pop artists mainly reproduced their works of art on canvases, on which they could bring one or more images based on the message they wished to convey to their audiences. Unlike the realists, these were more inclined towards showing some imagination, thus making their works more attractive and appealing. Thus said, it can be seen clearly that the most significant similarity between photorealism and pop art is that both works of art are based on the use of visual images which are combinations of reality and imagination.

It has been said that the thing an artist does differently from the others is what brings authenticity and meaning to their work. This brings us to the different features of pop art and photorealism. To begin with, pop artists put on canvases that which they imagined or saw without relying on any other visual image as their primary source. On the other hand, photorealists- who were also known as superrealism and in other texts as hyperrealism- had a primary source of reference. They depended on the photographs from which they could now reproduce their images on canvases.

The main aim of the photorealist was to study the photograph then try to be as exact as possible while reproducing it on a canvas. On the other hand, a pop artist would draw from scratch what is in their mind, and therefore, the need for accuracy and precision did not matter to their works of art. The pop artists put on canvas what they imagined, and there would be no questions as to the exactness. After all, the original copy is in their heads. This is a sharp contrast to photorealism, where the artists had to make sure that he portrayed the original image (this at least people could see), and that is what gave beauty to their work.

Looking at the historical times depicted by these two artistic movements, we see another clear distinction. The photorealists majorly featured industrial tools and machines as well as vehicles. This is not surprising seeing that it was during the industrial revolution, and the majority of photorealists were male. On the other hand, pop artists featured more of the modern-day media, advertisements, and rising people in media. Therefore, pop art can be seen as the central key to contemporary day art.

Even though both photorealism and pop art had an interest in the visual representations, their end games were quite different. On the one hand, photorealists had one thing in their mind; to reclaim the lost or somewhat ignored value and glory of an image. They sought to show the world through their works that an image has such high value, which should be highly appreciated. On the other hand, pop artists had a different theme. As mentioned before, they were aiming at mass media and modern culture, and to them, there was some measure of absurdity in them (Chotpradit).

Comparing these two movements gives us an insight as to how visual images can be used to give different and unique impressions. The photorealists were, however, met with a lot of criticism, especially from the realists who argued that the dependence on photography degraded the value of the images produced. This theory was countered by photorealists, who argued that in contemporary art, the camera had become a vital tool in visual representations. Consequently, in the 90s photorealism had gained popularity among many Americans. Later on, with the rise in social media popularity, pop artists became the most recognizable among all the other visual artists.

Talk of cartoons and every young man or woman has a story to tell. These cartoons cherished today by every child and teenager are the works of pop artists. The creativity, little absurdity, not to mention the educative nature of these cartoons is what makes them such a cherished genre. To sum up, while the photorealists were not as original yet popular and accurate, we see that they played a significant role in shaping the views of art we have today. Modern culture has now appreciated that photography is one of the most common styles of representing visual art. However, the originality and creativity of pop artists give them a head start as far as visual art is concerned.

Works cited

Chotpradit. "Of Art and Absurdity: Military, Censorship, and Contemporary Art in Thailand". Journal of Asia-Pacific Pop Culture, vol 3, no. 1, 2018, p. 5. The Pennsylvania State University Press, doi:10.5325/jasiapacipopcult.3.1.0005.

Letze, Otto. Photorealism. Hatje Cantz, 2013.

"Reconsidering American Photorealism of the 1970S". Journal of History of Modern Art, null, no. 44, 2018, pp. 7-37. Korean Association for History of Modern Art, doi:10.17057/kahoma. 2018..44.001.