Richard Estes: Urban Landscapes

The Hyde Collection is proud to present this exhibition of screenprints and paintings by American artist Richard Estes (b. 1932), one of the best-known Photorealists. Photorealism—work so precisely illusionistic it can be hard to distinguish from photography—was born in the 1960s, in part as a response to the predominantly abstract painting that was sweeping the art world.

Estes is famous for his cityscapes depicting New York, San Francisco, Rome, and other metropolises. Yet rather than glorifying impressive skylines or bustling urban squares, his cityscapes are intimate, up-close views of storefronts, street corners, restaurants, or bus and subway interiors. Remarkably realistic reflections in glass and metal stun the eye; architectural detail and masterful perspective reveal the depth of Estes’ drafting skills. His views never include people, and a meditative quiet reigns in his work despite the clamor of city living. Estes’ celebrations of concrete and girders, plate glass windows and typeface, have a uniquely somber beauty that invites prolonged study and introspection.

The Hyde’s installation of Richard Estes: Urban Landscapes will be accompanied by recorded urban soundscapes that allow visitors to experience what Estes might have heard as he snapped the photos he took while walking the city streets in search of subject matter for his paintings and prints. An interactive city model will invite visitors to create their own three-dimensional cityscape.

Richard Estes: Urban Landscapes is organized by the Portland Museum of Art, Maine. The exhibition was curated by Jaime DeSimone, former Robert and Elizabeth Nanovic Curator of Contemporary Art, Portland Museum of Art, Maine.

Support provided by Art Bridges.