I love realism. I love abstraction, too—but as a realistic painter myself, I can closely identify with the effort required to create a super-realistic work of art at a life-size scale. When I see it done well, it makes me want to stand up and applaud.
David Jon Kassan is one such artist; a true master of realism in oils.
Whether his subject matter is a beautiful woman or a dirty, graffiti-ridden wall (or both at once), David’s paintings explore only the truth of the situation—giving his viewers the somewhat rare experience of seeing absolute reality in art.
Nor are David’s super-realistic paintings boring, by any stretch of the imagination. Realism can be as varied and unique as any abstract creation, proven by both the painting above, entitled Approaching Noise, and the painting below, Tear.
Each piece incorporates naturally occurring abstractions, and each one is beautiful.
In all of his paintings, there’s also a sense of “overcoming” the limitations of oil paint— of creating a scene so perfect that the viewer doesn’t even notice the medium used.
His self-portrait is no less amazing, and just as honest.
For those of you that enjoy realism, you’ve got to head on over to David’s website at davidkassan.com and check out the rest of his paintings. And while you’re there, don’t miss the section on life drawings—they’re well worth a look, too.
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