Rivaling Reality. 60 Years of Photorealism

A pyrotechnic display of illusionistic painting – with around ninety masterworks by more than thirty artists to celebrate sixty years of international photorealism. Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, Ralph Goings, Ron Kleemann, Karin Kneffel, Gerhard Richter and others transform trivial everyday motifs into brilliant hyper-realistic pictorial worlds using specialised painting techniques.

This book pays homage to the illusory power of painting and at the same time takes a worldwide tour through the everyday culture of the modern age: images of vehicles with gleaming chrome in middle-class residential areas, brightly coloured candies, shimmering lipstick cases, deserted fast-food restaurants and garish advertisements – they all captivate through their technical brilliance and astounding precision, which seeks to compete with photography while consciously turning away from abstraction.

Artists: Alexandra Averbach, John Baeder, Robert Bechtle, Charles Bell, Roberto Bernardi, Tom Blackwell, Pedro Campos, Andres Castellanos, François Chartier, Chuck Close, Robert Cottingham, Don Eddy, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, Ben Johnson, Ralph Goings, Richard McLean, Malcolm Morley, Johannes Müller-Franken, Ron Kleemann, Karin Kneffel, David Parrish, Rod Penner, Gerhard Richter, John Salt, Raphaella Spence, Craig Wylie et al.

About the Author

Daniel Zamani is artistic director of the Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden.

Lars Eidinger is a s a German actor, photographer, and DJ. (Christiane Rigetti interviewed Lars Eidinger).

Judith Irrgang is Head of the Frieder Burda Collection / Scientific Collaborator for Exhibitions.

Jeremy Lewison, formerly Director of Collections of Tate, writes books and articles on modern and contemporary art, and lectures internationally in universities, museums and galleries.

David M. Lubin is an American writer, professor, curator, and scholar.

Christiane Righetti is Head of Communications / Press and Public Relations, Museum Frieder Burda.

Daniela Sistermanns, Events and Press and Public Relations, Museum Frieder Burda.