Is Realism Art?

If realism is about the ‘real’, it often seems to become a byword for bland and lifeless art. However, the opposite is far from true. Realism in the visual arts, sometimes described as realisticism or naturalism, is the attempt to present subject matter in its all-relevant context with the minimum of artificiality, simplifying any potentially confusing aspects of the real world. The aim is not to suggest that reality is an extremely complicated and subtle affair, but to show, in a most appropriate language, the essential nature of the subject.

This is not to say that the artist is trying to create a perfect replica of reality, far from it. The key principle of realism is the subjective reality or truth, which exists independent of any concrete system. This means that the viewer or reader must adjust his or her expectations to meet with the work. For this reason realism is not an abstract form of art. Rather, it is dependent upon the particular medium on which it is presented.

Many writers and artists have combined elements of realism in their work. Robert Rauschenberg used recognizable pictures of everyday objects, like a cup of coffee, on the front page of his newspaper to suggest a certain idyllic quality to the daily grind. Kenneth Noland used recognizable buildings from his city, but presented them as stills taken from photography. In these works, and others, realism appears to be a way of inviting the viewer into a more subtle world of possibility.

In the twenty-first century, realism is finding new places in modern art. Pop artist Banksy uses distorted images of architecture and clothing to suggest the fragility of modern living. multimedia artist Jamie Macclesfield uses spoken words to present abstract concepts about love and memory to the public. British street musician Survival uses distortion and reverb on his songs to suggest a present day relevance with the cultural heritage of the United Kingdom and Europe.

Richard Hamilton used realism in his popular painting called Colors. In this work, he used the colors red, blue and yellow to suggest the sky and the sea. British artist Joseph Cornell is famous for his realistic portraiture of young Americans. In these portraits, he presents the subjects as stills taken from film. Many critics claim that realism is overrated and that most works of art are over-produced with little originality.

Richard Hamilton disagreed and once said, “There is nothing so genuine, so personal, so grand as an actual feeling behind an appearance. That’s realism.” Though Richard Hamilton may not agree with him, most critics would agree that realism is still alive and well in contemporary art. With all the mediums available to create realistic art, one could say that there is something to be said for realism. Especially in today’s highly visualized society, the ability to create a work of art that anyone can appreciate may never be more important than ever.