We have written about photorealism before, a style of art that hit Europe and the USA in the 1960s and it is characterised by precise attention to detail that makes each piece look so real that it could have been captured by a camera. “Outside and Inside” by Dietrich Moravec is our artwork of the week and this description perfectly matches our chosen artwork. We talked to Dietrich about the inspiration and creative process behind his artwork and we are more than happy to share it with you.
Where did the inspiration come from for this piece?
I like to paint all kinds of fruits because of their multifaceted shapes, colours and textures. These plums struck me with their smooth shiny skin and their roundness. The purple colour of their skin makes a perfect contrast to their yellow-orange pulp. The green leaves accomplish the composition.
What is the creative process when creating your still life paintings?
As I paint realistic and photorealistic I use photos as reference, which I buy from stock photo providers. Sometimes I use these photos as they are like these plums, but mostly I put them in backgrounds that I develop myself. My painting techniques vary. Sometimes I use only acrylics, sometimes I underpaint with acrylics and overpaint with oils. The plums were underpainted with oils in grisaille and then coloured with oil.
Have you always painted in this style?
I started painting seriously in the early 1970s and since then I have always painted and drawn realistically. In the 1970s I was highly influenced by the Vienna School of Phantastic Realism, but that didn´t last into the 80s. At the beginning of the 90s, I started with photorealism and I´m stuck to it until now. From time to time I tried some abstract art, but it never really satisfied me.
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