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Another creator of movement was Ted Seth Jacobs (1927 -), lecturer at the Art Student's League and the New York Academy of Art, university derived its traditions from the Academie Julian in Paris, the golden age of American illustration, and the school of Paris.
The style and philosophy of classical realism movement combines the beauty of the world's fascination with Western art tradition, paying special attention to realism, impressionism and neoclassicism. Artists of the movement take the direct observation of the real world as the basis for creative interpretation. In contrast to the hiper-, and photorealists they avoid the use of photography as a surrogate for reality. In line with its philosophy, stress the importance of a perfect mastery of artistic technique, as the base for free artistic creation, and hence the need for mastery of drawing, composition, and traditional painting techniques.
Classical realists believe that modernist art lost aim and agenda of the creative process. In their view, the aim of art is to create objects giving the viewer satisfaction and contributing to its refinement. Inevitably follows the primacy of quality and value of art as a unique facility over (persued at all costs) individual expression.
I must admit that, as in our times, which is dominated by exactly the opposite trend, it is attitude just as extreme as the attitude of the Futurists and Dadaists, working even one hundred years ago.
The finest among the obvious criticism is, used by New York Sun columnist, Maureen Mullarkey, term describing classical realism as a "modern retro" and comparing it to the Chrysler PT Cruiser. For some it is a joke, for others an insult or compliment.
Classical realists education is based on the so-called atelier method, practicing in the studio of master's student, patient study of nature and improving the traditional workshop. A bit like in the best Japanese schools, where, despite the total computerization, a student have to master the art of traditional calligraphy with brush on the the rice paper roll. |
 One of the first schools appealing to the Julian Academy was founded in 1969, by Richard Lack, and from now on in the world were established many similar projects - primarily in the United States, England and Italy. With all the differences, the base of education of young artists is a character study of human nature, practice putting skills by painterly means invoices classical sculpture, and thus familiarizing them with the ideal of classical beauty.
Although the movement was created by artists born before World War II, currently its character define artists born in the 60s-70s, so peers of Damien Hirst and the Young British Artists. You could say that classical realism is a conservative reaction to the neo-Dada, Fluxus of Joseph Beuys, Neo-Conceptualism of Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin and specular reflection of the postmodern reaction of Billy Childish, Charles Thomson and the stuckists.
It is worth noting that the life of contemporary art is more complicated than homegrown art critics and the singer of a simplified vision of modernity can imagine. For example, one of the strongest centers of development of classical realism is the New York Academy of Art (known as Graduate School of Figurative Art) founded in 1982 by a group of individualists and eccentrics with Andy Warhol at the helm. In the posthumous legacy of Warhol was found a hundred of (made in 1986) drawing studies to the "Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci. It thus appears that ... but let's give peace of art critics, and let them associate with Warhol only a tomato soup...
http://www.nyaa.edu/ ; http://nyaa.edu/nyaa/catalog_2010.pdf |
