Instead of an analysis of Realism

I sometimes envy the more professional art bloggers for the time and dedication they put into their blogs. I’m currently working more than full time as a Web Editor, and on top of that I do some free lance writing and I’m sitting on a couple of boards. I simply lack the time I would need to do the interviews I’d like to publish here, and the in depth analysis becomes short sarcastic comments instead.

I would really like to gather my thoughts on realism in art, for example. I know that I have an unhealthy obsession with beauty, but I do feel the need for art to examine reality by seeing and interpreting. But what is realism, as opposed to for example a conceptual examination of perception? And what makes it tick?

Is representation at the core a morality in itself, as can be seen in the art of Lucian Freud or Leonard McComb – the later of the two phrased it "In art it is easy to be personal; the real problem is to speak to strangers." - or is it an interactive examination where the artist try to figure out cause and effect? Is it a selective process, or - as the American photorealists would insist - purely mechanical?

And then there is the whole issue of beauty and dreams, and that of political vision. In January I made this post about up and coming painter Kris Knight. Since then I’ve learned a little more about him and come to realize that he might not be as much of a realist as my first impression made me think. But the featured painting still represents a branch of realism that is interested not only in what can be seen, but also what can be felt, asked and known about the subject. Perhaps even what can be done.

To further complicate the issue we have the problem of realist aesthetics. There are obviously trends dictating how a realist painting “should look”. But what happens if it looks right, but isn’t at all representative, as I believe is the case with the Swedish young painter Anna Finney’s art?

Some time I’ll really try to get to the bottom of at least one or two of these issues, but until then you will have to come up with your own answers.