Photorealism At the Millennium [Hardcover]

Louis K. Meisel (Author), Linda Chase (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2002

The third volume in his series on the subject, Louis K. Meisel's "Photorealism at the Millennium" documents the movement's evolution through the 1990s. More than 600 colour images, including such distinctive works as Tom Blackwell's "Odalisque Express", Richard Estes's "Spring Afternoon, Madison Square, New York" and Ralph Going's "Duke Diner" represent the decade. Ron Kleemann, Richard McLean, David Parrish, John Salt - every major Photorealist and many of Meisel's discoveries are featured. Begun in the early 1970s, this series is Meisel's ongoing chronicle of an entire contemporary movement, and the essay written by Linda Chase, included in this volume, places the paintings in context.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Louis K. Meisel, author of several Abrams books, is a New York art dealer and the leading proponent of Photorealism - in fact, he coined the term for the movement in the late 1960s. Linda Chase's groundbreaking interviews with the first Photorealists appeared in Art in America in the early 1970s, and she has since written extensively on the movement. She divides her time between New Kingston, New York, and Naples, Florida.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810934833
• ISBN-13: 978-0810934832
• Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 10.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,202,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a photo, it's a painting, it's Photorealism., December 26, 2002

By 

Robin Benson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Photorealism At the Millennium (Hardcover)

The story continues and in color too! A brilliant third volume from the curator of the Photorealist art movement and made more enjoyable because the six hundred plus paintings are all in color. I have the two previous books and good as they were I always felt they were let down by having too many of the 2,323 pictures in black and white but here's an interesting point, the first book had 710 color and 493 b/w, the second book had 560 color and 560 b/w, this latest book has 620 color and no black and whites, does this mean the Movement is on the wane? I hope not because I feel that Photorealism is somehow a uniquely American art movement.

The format follows the same style as the others, an upfront essay (in this case Linda Chase writes about the use of photography by artists over the last century or so) followed by hundreds of illustrations from the featured artists, twenty-eight in this book. These artists are continuing to record 'the fascinating in the familiar' as Ms Chase succinctly puts it and this is one reason I love these paintings, they record Americana so wonderfully. It's worth remembering that when these paintings, many of them huge, are reproduced a few inches wide it tightens up all the detail and they become even more 'photographic'. On page seventeen of the first volume twelve artists work was shown (unfortunately in black and white) the same size as the original painting and you can see how different their brushstrokes are.

Of the artists, some of my favorites are Davis Cone for his movie theatres (and if you like him too, have a look at a lovely book about movie theaters and his paintings, eighty shown in 'Popcorn Palaces') Robert Gniewek for street scenes at night, Charles Bell the pinball wizard, Linda Bacon for her toy tableau's including one called 'Crash' which has a three toy car pile-up and artfully uses Grant Wood's painting 'Death on the Ridge Road' as a backdrop. Perhaps the most amazing paintings in the book are Don Jacot's 'Retro-Active' (it took most of 1998 to paint) and 'Garbo's' (2001) both show shop-fronts with the windows crammed with nostalgia antiques. I sometimes think these artists do their best to make the painting as hard to do as possible!

So, a lovely book to enjoy over and over and thank you Mr Meisel for your faith in these artists and the Photorealist movement. I'm looking forward to the fourth volume around 2010.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best, October 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Photorealism At the Millennium (Hardcover)

This book, along with the earlier 'Photorealism' and 'Photorealism since 1980' are quite simply 'the best' in my collection of art books. I never get tired of looking at the masses of incredible images by these great modern artists. Louis Meisel is to be congratulated for allowing the rest of the world to share these great works, many of which would otherwise be hidden to most of us.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition to the definitive series on photorealism, October 16, 2002

By 

Elvis-from-Hell (Fort Lauderdale, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Photorealism At the Millennium (Hardcover)

Louis Meisel et al. have produced yet another beautiful edition to the definitive series on photorealism. Like the two previous volumes ("Photorealism" and "Photorealism Since 1980"), this gorgeous coffeetable book contains page after page of beautiful plates. New work by all the old favorites is here including Estes, Goings, Bell, etc. plus many new artists not featured in the earlier volumes. If you liked either of the two previous volumes, jump on this quick before it's outta print and you gotta mortgage the pig farm to pay for a copy from a used art book dealer. Thoughtfully, this volume is the same dimensions as the previous books in the series so it looks real cool parked next to 'em on the old art book shelf.

Me like!!! 'Nuf said.