Where Science and Art Collide – The Hyperrealistic Paintings of Philip Muñoz

Hyperrealism is an art form that originally stemmed from the photorealism art movement, a style that has its roots in the 1960’s and 70’s, and is typified by such artists as Chuck Close and Richard Estes. What differentiates photorealism from hyperrealism is that hyperrealist painters, rather than depicting immaculately rendered duplications of photographs as their final intent, use photographic images as a starting point in which to add an extra element of human emotion or political commentary, whereby the images are infused with a realism that supersedes reality itself. In this process, digital photography is often a fundamental tool of the trade.

When viewing these paintings it is essential to keep in mind that not only does this style of art demand an extreme degree of technical skill, in order to stay true to its intent, it also requires the capacity to see beyond the obvious.

I recently connected with an artist who has an amazing ability to do just that, Philip Muñoz, whose paintings are profoundly hyper-realistic in skill and intent. What makes Philip even more intriguing than many of the other contemporary hyperrealists exhibiting today is that he is completely self-taught!

Living and working in Bristol, England, Philip is part of the Jamaica Street Studios artists, the difference being Philip holds a degree in biochemistry.  In a previous blog post I described recent encounters of art meets science, and I am now firmly convinced there is a definite link here.

With the monotonous prospect of life in a lab as the obvious career path, he decided to “struggle as an impoverished artist for 10 years or so,” working on his technique. Upon inquiring as to the seemingly divergent leap from biochemistry to painting he explains, “I don't really see going from science to art as a jump, as I have approached both as an obsessive investigation into the detail and mystery of what seems interesting to me in the respective fields. Both have much in common regarding the creative approach and both rely on a combination of hard work and chance.”

Philip works in oils, with each piece taking anywhere from several days to several weeks to complete. He explains the colorful eclectic figures and urban environment outside his studio doors provides constant creative inspiration. The figures are especially pertinent because the tattoos and piercings so painstakingly detailed on many of the figures, place them in modern context.ng portraits and

Munoz’s work explores the notion of glamour and its role in social identity. With the mind of an analyst and hand of an artist, he uses hyperrealistic technique to portray the exterior and superficial elements of human nature, and in that, the results are beautifully ironic. As well, they are not only a sublime product of hard work and chance; they are also the perfect combination of science and art.

You can view his work currently at Albemarle Gallery in London, and be sure to visit his website at www.philipmunoz.com

 

Above:

“How Many is Too Many?” oil on canvas

“Claire” oil on canvas

“Noughties Girl” oil on canvas