Photorealism

Photorealism is a genre of painting which uses cameras and photographs to create a painting which looks like a photograph. Although the height of photorealism was in the 1970's, it is a movement which continues today in the 21st century, even though many of the original pioneers have died.Chuck Close, Tom Blackwell, Ralph Goings and Charles Bell are all photorealist artists.
Photorealism evolved from Pop Art and Abstract Impressionism in the late 1960's and early 1970's America. Pop Art and Photorealism were both reactionary movements stemming from the ever increasing and overwhelming abundance of photographic media, which by the mid 20th century had grown into such a massive phenomenon that it was 'threatening to lessen the value of imagery in art'.