Hyperrealism and the Philosophy of Paradoxes in the Works of the American Artist Richard Estes

Abstract

The research deals with the subject of hyper-realism and the philosophy of Contradictions in the works of the contemporary American artist Richard Estes , and aims to identify the features and nature of Contradictions in his works, their symbolic and philosophical connotations, and the contemporary issues associated with them. In order to achieve a broader understanding of this trend, a separate axis has been devoted to studying the history of the realist trend in art since the emergence of realism in the nineteenth century and through socialist realism to hyperrealism. The research also identifies the philosophy of hyper-realism in choosing its topics, the means used, such as photography, and the various means of magnification for the production of its works. The second axis presented the experience and development of the artist Richard Estes, the most important topics and issues he was exposed to, and his stylistic characteristics. The third axis, was devoted to discussing a group of selected samples and coming up with a set of results, the most important of which are: Estes’ work was characterized by a flavor of nihilism, where it was hidden behind the realism of excessive treatment, alluding to the increase in materialism in the contemporary world, the weakness of human ties, and the diminishing intimate relations between man and society and between man and nature.