Imaginative Realism Presents the Fantastic and Fictional As If They Were Real
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REAL FICTIONS Imaginative realism presents the fantastic and fictional as if they were real. Several new exhibitions—full of gods, goblins, detectives, and dinosaurs—cast light on this artistic tradition that began in the 19th century. by AU STIN R. WILLIAMS LEFT maginative-realist painting Love Lost thrives on a joyful incon- by L. A. Williams, gruity. The viewer looks at 2008, mixed media on board, one of these works and sees 22 x 14. Collection the same elements found in Patrick and Jeannie Wilshire. any representational paint- Iing—such as three-dimensional OPPOSITE PAGE The Pit and the form, convincing light and shadow, Pendulum and carefully keyed color—but the by Harry Clarke, content is just a bit different. An 1919, ink, 14 x 11. Collection Stephen imaginative-realist landscape shows D. Korshak. not a picturesque woodland brook but a dazzling, impossibly scaled castle. An imaginative-realist portrait pres- ents not a distinguished aristocrat but an extravagantly costumed pirate. And instead of Washington crossing the Delaware, imaginative realism gives us demonic warriors flying into battle atop winged reptilian beasts. These scenes come straight from the minds of artists and authors. And the joy of viewing them is twofold: We revel in their fantastical content at the same time that we appreciate them for their virtues as “realistic” paintings. They look as if they could have been painted from life … if their subjects actually existed. 56 AMERICAN ARTIST May 2012 www.ArtistDaily.com www.ArtistDaily.com May 2012 AMERICAN ARTIST 57 Imaginative realism refers to a Pennsylvania. “The show covers and monsters—have been around broad school of painting encom- what we consider to be modern since people were writing on cave passing representational art that imaginative realism, beginning walls,” says Wilshire. “But start- depicts patently imaginary places, with the Romantics and extend- ing with the Romantics and then people, creatures, and scenes. ing to the present,” says Patrick moving into the Pre-Raphaelites, This includes artwork that is often Wilshire, who, along with his there’s a distinct shift away from categorized as fantasy or science wife, Jeannie, curated the exhi- the more clinical approach of fiction, but it is not limited to those bition and serves as co-director Ingres or David.” subjects. The tradition has roots in of the Association of Fantastic Edward Burne-Jones, John several major strands of Western Art, which organizes the annual William Waterhouse, Gustave painting—the Romantics, the IlluXCon symposium devoted to Moreau, and John Martin are a Symbolists, and the Surrealists all fantastic art. few of the artists who worked worked, to various extents, in imag- Since the earliest years of paint- in imaginative realism during inative realism. ing, artists have created scenes the mid-19th century. Later, such More than two centuries of incorporating mythology and magic. academic painters as Jean-Léon imaginative realism will be explored But “At the Edge” locates the start of Gérôme and William-Adolphe later this year in the exhibition “At imaginative realism as a coherent Bouguereau incorporated aspects the Edge: Art of the Fantastic,” at tradition in the early 19th century. of imaginative realism into their the Allentown Art Museum, in “The themes themselves—gods work by taking Romantic scenes several steps closer to the LEFT real world, depicting the The Sultan Nisner exotic rather than the wholly by Willy Pogney, fantastic. 1915, watercolor, 16 x 12. Collection All these artists helped Stephen D. Korshak. lay the groundwork for the OPPOSITE PAGE Golden Age of Illustration, Eerie No. 8 which lasted from the 1880s by Frank Frazetta, until shortly after World 1967, oil on board, 21 x 18. Collection War I and included such James Halperin. luminary artists as Howard Pyle, Austin Abbey, N.C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, J. Allen St. John, and Maxfield Parrish. These artists possessed uncanny technical abilities and were able to immediately communicate narra- tives of excitement and mystery. “After World War I, the Golden Age of Illustration petered out, along with the interest in illus- trated books,” Wilshire says. “The fine-art community had moved on to Modernism and wasn’t inter- ested in narrative work anymore.” Most artists who created imagina- tive art continued as illustrators, working with the relatively new literary genres of pulp fiction, sci- ence fiction, and fantasy. 58 AMERICAN ARTIST May 2012 www.ArtistDaily.com www.ArtistDaily.com May 2012 AMERICAN ARTIST 59 Imaginative realism experienced Among these later artists are Jeffrey between them is complex. “In most realism’s appeal. “Thirty years a rebirth in the 1960s and 1970s, Jones, Michael Whelan, and Boris of the 20th century, if you wanted to ago, this was all in nerd-land,” centered around the artwork of Vallejo—all influential fantasy art- do this kind of painting and tell fan- Wilshire says. “Now it’s not just Frank Frazetta. “Frazetta was the ists in their own right, and all of tastic stories, and if you also wanted acceptable but mainstream.” first of the contemporary artists whom will be represented in “At the to be able to eat, then you had to be Interest in imaginative realism to really look back to the Golden Edge.” an illustrator,” Wilshire says. “That is growing among collectors and Age and to the 19th century and At times, virtually all contem- was your only option. But from an audiences. IlluXCon is in its fifth meld the technical and emotional porary imaginative realism is artistic perspective, there is no such year, and “At the Edge,” which LEFT approach of that work with the described as “illustration,” even if thing as an illustrator. Some paint- Beauty and the will include roughly 150 themes and visual lexicon that had a particular piece wasn’t commis- ers have publishers for clients, while Beast works of art, is one of the larg- been developed through sioned as an illustration. others have collectors or galleries or by Thomas Black- est exhibitions ever devoted shear, 1994, oil on th the middle part of the 20 Second Drowning In reality, imaginative museums as clients. Those whose board, 42 x 34. to the subject. Prices for art- century,” Wilshire says. by Don Maitz, 1979, realism and illustration clients are publishers are referred Collection the work by major artists—Frank oil on Masonite, artist. “After that, everyone is 32 x 42. Collection are not simply the same to as illustrators, but that’s the only Frazetta in particular—have influenced by Frazetta.” the artist. thing; the relationship difference.” BELOW been breaking records. The Sacrifice Most important, imagi- by Patrick Jones, 2012, oil, 48 x 36. native realism is alive and Collection Gareth well as a school of painting. Knowles. More artists are working in the arena than have been for decades, continuing a tradition of fine art that began more than 200 years ago. As Wilshire says, “Even if you don’t know a hobbit from a hole in the ground, you will be artistically inspired by these paintings.” Wilshire notes that imaginative Imaginative-realist paintings realism’s reputation has often suf- are notable for their craftsmanship. fered because the original works It may at first feel strange to think of art have rarely been exhibited. of a scene of wizards and drag- Even viewers who are very inter- ons as a realist painting, but these ested in the paintings often can works have such solid composi- only see them on the covers of tion, rendering, and atmosphere small paperback books that are that such parallels can’t be ignored. covered in text—hardly ideal con- “In order to work effectively in this ditions for appreciating works of field, you have to be a really good art. “It’s like judging the Mona realist painter,” Wilshire says. He Lisa based on a postcard,” Wilshire also notes that many of the attend- says. “The works are filled with so ees at the IlluXCon symposium are much detail and technique that students who are not necessarily doesn’t reproduce. Even though interested in fantastic art but come the artists assumed no one would to study the paintings for their see it, they insisted on executing technical qualities. their craft to the highest possible In recent years, cultural shifts level.” have helped broaden imaginative 60 AMERICAN ARTIST May 2012 www.ArtistDaily.com www.ArtistDaily.com May 2012 AMERICAN ARTIST 61 About the Exhibitions ne contemporary art- “At the Edge: Art of the Fantastic” will be on view at the ist who exemplifies Allentown Art Museum, in Pennsylvania, from June 3 to much of what makes September 9. The exhibition will be accompanied by an the tradition of imagi- illustrated catalogue. For more information, visit www. native realism so special allentownartmuseum.org or www.illuxcon.com. Ois James Gurney, the author and illustrator of the Dinotopia book “Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney” is series. “James Gurney is one of on view at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, in the significant figures in imagi- Wausau, Wisconsin, until April 7. The exhibition is accompanied by numerous programs at the museum for native realism today,” Wilshire both adults and children. For more information, visit says. “In fact, he’s the one who www.lywam.org. first coined the term ‘imaginative realism’ to refer to this kind of “Dinotopia: Science, Art, and Imagination,” featuring painting.” This year, two museum approximately 70 works by Gurney, will be on view at the exhibitions allow audiences to take Lyman Allyn Art Museum, in New London, Connecticut, a deeper look at the artist’s work. from September 22 to February 2, 2013. Among the pro- One show is currently on view at grams occurring in conjunction with the exhibition will be a the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art talk and book signing with Gurney on October 13.