RICHARD ESTES

 

Born: 1932, Kenawee , Illinois

Age: 71

School: Art Institute of Chicago , Graduated 1956

Genre: Photo-realism

Subject: cityscapes

Media: Oil, Acrylic, Gouache, Printmaking

 

            Quote about the Artist:

“Estes feels that the less a work of art has to be explained, the more successful

 that work is. He, therefore, feels nothing need be said about his work. His

 paintings say it all.”

Works by Richard Estes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Grant’s, from the series Urban                                         Diner, 1971

Landscapes 1, 1972                                       oil on canvas, 40 1/8 x50”

Color Screen print, 50.8x71.1”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                        

 

 

 

 

 

Detail, Times Square 2000, Color woodcut print 20 blocks, 27 colors

Image: 16.3 x 10 inches, Sheet: approx. 23 x 16 inches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He usually eliminates all of the people and the garbage found in the photographs. He does not paint people because he says that they are distractions. He doesn't want us to get emotionally involved in human characters. He wants us to focus on the structure, the light, and the space in his work. Estes has tried to paint the garbage he finds on the streets but says it never looks like garbage when he paints it, so he stopped.

 

Why does Richard Estes paint what he paints? He does not attempt to paint beauty. In fact, he believes that if it were up to him, he would probably tear down most of the buildings that he paints. Estes says he's not trying to save the world either. It is not his intention to make political or philosophical statements in his work. He doesn't do it to get rich; in fact, he's surprised every time one of his paintings is sold.

 

Richard Estes paints what he paints in an effort to bring order to chaos. He says that there is no such thing as realism. Selections are always made. In making his selections among the thousands of pieces of information in the photos, Estes attempts to create what he calls an ideal reality. This ideal reality is organized, not beautiful. In the end, he sees himself as nothing more than an old-fashioned painter trying to paint what he sees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Begins by taking numerous rolls of photography, using Polaroid, black and white and color film.

• Estes uses multiple pictures and perspectives in order to create one painting.

• He begins with Sepia drawings, and some light acrylic washes and stains.

• He then adds a wash drawing using multiple colors

• Painting becomes “gridded off” to add the details from the photographs.

• Estes then refines the people, shadows, and light reflections.

• Estes has the habit of repositioning and changing perspectives of buildings to get the painting to show what he wants it to.

• Estes works in small sections of the larger canvas, working around the painting adding detail and finishing the work.