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		Photorealism is an art movement which began in the late 1960's as a response to Abstract Art and evolved from pop art. It is a form of painting scenes and images in a style closely resembling photographs. The subject matter is frequently nondescript and rendered without evoking any interest in the subject matter’s eccentricities and peculiar details; it's like a painted rendition of the photograph. Abstract forms of art focus on a divergent perspective of reality that is independent of any physical matter – an illusion extracted from the visible world. Photorealism, on the other hand, underpins the internal elements underlying our external world. It’s not just a painting of a man’s photograph, it’s an interpretation of his emotions and thoughts at the precise moment his perception of the image was changed. The final paintings are not just faithful translations of these images but reconstructions devised by the artist that include a whimsical or private code.

Ken Keeley is one of the leading Photo realists of our time. Known for his realistic and periodic depictions of New York City’s most iconic scenes, he has been heralded as one of the most notable Photo realists of the movement. His works have been showcased in renowned museums like the Whitney Museum of Art and have been part of numerous Art Expos in major cities like Miami, New York and San Francisco. There are also companies that own some of his collections: Macy’s Department Store (featured in one of Keeley’s works, “Choc-Full-of-Nuts”) owns an entire Keeley collection.

According to Fine Art Magazine, “Keeley has mastered the intimate visual rendition of a large universal scene, in intimate detail and sustained with a certain emotion. Not quite a nostalgia, but an acknowledgement of how things were, how they are and how they be now…”

In photorealism, true creativity seems to be immaterial since the artist only conveys what reality presents before his eyes. This is partly true, but nonetheless unjustified. Ken Keeley’s works immortalize iconographic scenes in ways that reveal the enduring aspects hidden beneath the way things appear – a genuine perspective that is preceded by keen artistry.

In his work, “Cover Stories 1997” (seen to the right) the unknowing eye will only see the obvious: a stack of current magazines and newspapers in a newspaper stand somewhere along the bustling streets of New York. Yet, a deeper understanding of the subject matter unveils certain significant elements: it was the year of Princess Diana’s death. The rippling effects of her death made that year memorable in various political and social circles; only an art piece like this can commemorate the event with such integrity and simplicity.

Ken Keeley’s work is a display of a Photo realist's assiduous strokes
– the fine, definitive lines and the attention given to the small details make-up the scene’s authenticity. Yet above and beyond any artistic skill is the mark of a genius: its enduring quality that transcends time. The ability to capture this is a mystery that can only be brought to light through a work of art so real and honest that it becomes as elusive as the passing reality itself.

Baterbys Art Auction Gallery features some of his most notable pieces. Click here more artwork from Baterbys Art Auction Gallery.