John Ahearn
Richard Artschwager
William Bailey
Lewis Baltz
Robert Bechtle
William Beckman
Peter Blake
William Christenberry
John Clem Clarke
Chuck Close
Alex Colville
Robert Cottingham
Robert Cumming
John De Andrea
Saskia De Boer
George Deem
Thomas Demand
Vincent Desiderio
Rackstraw Downes
Don Eddy
William Eggleston
Ahmed Egmeri
ERRO
Richard Estes
Eric Fischl
Claire Fontaine
Lee Friedlander
Gerard Gasiorowski
Juan Genoves
Franz Gertsch
Domenico Gnoli
Ralphs Goings
Andreas Gursky
Ira Joel Haber
Kyungah Ham
Richard Hamilton
Duane Hanson
Jann Haworth
David Hockney
Candida Hofer
Jean Olivier
Hucleux
Gozde Ilkin
Alain Jacquet
Jasper Johns
John Kacere
Howard Kanovitz
Alex Katz
Konrad Klapheck
Peter Klasen
Jeff Koons
Fritz Kothe
Laszlo Lakner
Louise Lawler
Saul Leiter
Alfred Leslie
Roy Lichtenstein
Konrad Lueg
Allan McCullum
Richard McLean
Joel Meyerowitz
Nicholas Monro
Jacques Monroy
Malcolm Morley
Lowell Nesbitt
Philip Pearlstein
Tom Phillips
Sigmar Polke
Stephen Posen
Mel Ramos
Martial Rayss
Lois Renner
Gerhard Richter
Stephen Shore
James Rosenquist
Mimmo Rotella
Thomas Ruff
Ed Ruscha
John Salt
Paul Sarkisian
Markus Schinwald
Ben Schonzeit
Cindy Sherman
Societe Realiste
Paul Staiger
Nikolaus Stortenbecker
Thomas Struth
Wayne Thiebaud
Sidney Tillim
Jeff Wall
Andy Warhol
Tom Wesselmann
Paul Wiesenfeld
Gerd Winner
Susanne Neuburger
Brigitte Franzen
Realism in Painting and Photography. Starting from the MUMOK's extensive collection of 40 works, the exhibition places the museum's own holdings in a context of realisms and investigates the concepts behind a painting genre that is determined by the subject matter of the city, streets, automobiles and the American way of life. Time and again the Photorealists emphasised the importance of Pop Art some of which is shown at the start of the exhibition before the presentation of the main protagonists such as Richard Estes, Ralph Goings or Don Eddy.
Curated by Susanne Neuburger, Brigitte Franzen
Under the title “Hyper Real” the MUMOK will examine the passion for the
real in painting and photography from the late 1960s to this day. Among
the around 250 works, many of the most important Photorealist
paintings will be shown in a nostalgic and amusing look at this important
chapter in international art history.
The Photorealists — Chroniclers of the American Way of Life
At the end of the 1960s, a group of American artists attracted a
considerable amount of attention with their realistic paintings based in
meticulous detail on photographs. They became chroniclers of the
American way of life during the late 1960s and early 1970s, capturing
images of everyday life in still lifes, portraits, interiors and cityscapes.
Shining chrome road cruisers, bright and colorful shop windows and
scenes from suburban life were among their characteristic themes. These
often unspectacular snapshots, amateur photographs and newspaper
clippings were transformed into monumental pictures — often with the
help of slide projectors. Details such as reflections and other light or
shadow effects were accentuated.
Although specifically in tune with
America, the pictures were also self-consciously a part of the European
history of painting, with their attention to traditional painterliness
continuing the tradition of figurative modernism. Deception, illusionism,
and other controversial aspects of representation came to be discussed
with respect to painting and its history.
Pop Art as Inspiration and Point of Departure
Along with their contemporaries in Pop Art, the Photorealists looked
more openly at the world of popular culture and merchandise, working
consciously in contrast to the extreme subjectivity and emotionalism of
Abstract Expressionism. Many of the Photorealists explicitly referred to
Pop Art as an inspiration and a point of departure. In the exhibition,
prominent works by Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol
and Tom Wesselmann are presented in contrast to works by the
protagonists of Hyperrealism such as Richard Estes, Ralph Goings, Robert
Bechtle, Malcolm Morley, Don Eddy, Robert Cottingham, Richard McLean
and Chuck Close. To complement this, photography from the same
period between the 1960s and 1970s by Saul Leiter, Stephen Shore, Joel
Meyerowitz and William Eggleston will be shown. At the same time,
American positions will be contrasted to European positions with works
by Gerhard Richter, Domenico Gnoli, Jean Olivier Hucleux or Richard
Hamilton.
The Contrast between Painting and Photography
The exhibition looks into the history of the interrelationship of painting
and photography up into the present, presenting numerous important
international positions. With Jeff Wall as the point of departure, the show
then continues to some of the big names of contemporary German
photography: Candida Höfer, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Ruff and Thomas
Struth. Their presence opens the exhibition to other positions within the
broad field of contemporary realism in art.
Peter and Irene Ludwig Collection
The artists known as Photorealists, Hyperrealists or New Realists had their
first big breakthrough at the documenta V in 1972. Already at that time,
the collectors Peter and Irene Ludwig played a crucial role lending
important works from their large collection of Photorealist works. The
exhibition “Hyper Real” will now present the entirety of their collection.
Brought together from five Ludwig museums in Vienna, Aachen,
Cologne, Koblenz and Budapest, the examples shown represent the most
important works of Photorealism. Spread throughout three floors, the
exhibition presents a comprehensive view into this chapter in the history
of painting, tracing its influence to the present, and showing its
relationship to the medium of photography.
Catalogue
A comprehensive catalogue will be published accompanying the
exhibition with essays by Susanne Neuburger, Monika Faber and Benedikt
Ledebur and an interview between Brigitte Franzen and Jean-Christophe
Ammann.
The exhibition “Hyper Real” was made in cooperation with the Ludwig
Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen and the Ludwig Múzeum —
Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest. After Vienna, it will be shown in
Aachen (13/3 — 19/6/2011) and Budapest (28/7 — 23/10/2011).
With the support of the German Ludwig Stiftung.
Special thanks to the main sponsor of the exhibition: Ruefa, the MUMOK partners: Air
France, Art Photography Fund, Dorotheum, UNIQA; and the media partners: Der
Standard, Compliment, Wien live, eyes on, Infoscreen und Club Ö1.
Artists represented in the exhibition
John Ahearn / Richard Artschwager / William Bailey / Lewis Baltz / Robert
Bechtle / William Beckman / Peter Blake / William Christenberry / John
Clem Clarke / Chuck Close / Alex Colville / Robert Cottingham / Robert
Cumming / John De Andrea / Saskia De Boer / George Deem / Thomas
Demand / Vincent Desiderio / Rackstraw Downes / Don Eddy / William
Eggleston / Ahmed Egmeri / ERRO (Guðmundur Guðmundsson) / Richard
Estes / Eric Fischl / Claire Fontaine / Lee Friedlander / Gérard Gasiorowski /
Juan Genovés / Franz Gertsch / Domenico Gnoli / Ralphs Goings / Andreas
Gursky / Ira Joel Haber / Kyungah Ham / Richard Hamilton / Duane
Hanson / Jann Haworth / David Hockney / Candida Höfer / Jean Olivier
Hucleux / Gözde Ilkin / Alain Jacquet / Jasper Johns / John Kacere / Howard
Kanovitz / Alex Katz / Konrad Klapheck / Peter Klasen / Jeff Koons / Fritz
Köthe / Laszlo Lakner / Louise Lawler / Saul Leiter / Alfred Leslie / Roy
Lichtenstein / Konrad Lueg / Allan McCullum / Richard McLean / Joel
Meyerowitz / Nicholas Monro / Jacques Monroy / Malcolm Morley /
Lowell Nesbitt / Philip Pearlstein / Tom Phillips / Sigmar Polke / Stephen
Posen / Mel Ramos / Martial Raysse / Lois Renner / Gerhard Richter /
Stephen Shore / James Rosenquist / Mimmo Rotella / Thomas Ruff / Ed
Ruscha / John Salt / Paul Sarkisian / Markus Schinwald / Ben Schonzeit /
Cindy Sherman / Société Réaliste / Paul Staiger / Nikolaus Störtenbecker /
Thomas Struth / Wayne Thiebaud / Sidney Tillim / Jeff Wall / Andy Warhol
/ Tom Wesselmann / Paul Wiesenfeld / Gerd Winner
Image: Ralph Goings, Airstream, 1970, Sammlung MUMOK, Foto: MUMOK, © Ralph Goings
Press Contact Eva Engelberger
Telefon +43-1-52500-1400
eva.engelberger@mumok.at
Opening: October 21, 2010–7.00 p.m.
Museum Moderner Kunst MUMOK
Museumsplatz 1 - Wien
Hours: Mon-Sun 10-18, Thur 10-21
Admission normal € 9,- reduced € 7,20 - € 6,50