Automobiles, tractors and trucks take on a new meaning when they burst into life with extreme detail and lucidity. John Schaeffer of La Grange, Texas, takes realism to a new level with his ability to reinvent the life and love of classic vehicles through his talent of reflection and chrome, known as photorealism. “Snake Eyes” is a perfect example of how photorealism can quickly change to hyperrealism by including human interaction.
Hyperrealism is not an art form that is hundreds of years old. 1973 brought the first example of this new shape of realism at an exhibition by Isy Brachot in Brussels. You might say that hyperrealism is the art of simulating something that never existed in reality, but perhaps should have. It plays with the mind as the clarity and ultra-real characteristics create a pictorial design of social and cultural superiority of a simple photograph. Hyperrealism grew out of photorealism by adding emotion and a message to the viewer.
Like many artists, artist Schaeffer spent his much of his life learning, teaching and working before allowing his passion to be his main focus. He received a BS in Commercial Art from Southwest Texas State University and taught art, drafting, photography and journalism in an inner-city high school in San Antonio, Texas.
After teaching, he turned to working in the interior design field in corporate America. Once John was able to retire, he was able to focus on his real love, painting. “I stopped painting and drawing for almost 35 years, but in 2010 I developed a passion to paint again.”
Schaeffer is proudly part of the Luster Traveling Museum Exhibit that features Realism and Hyperrealism in Contemporary Automobile and Motorcycle Painting. The show has been crisscrossing the United States since March 2018 and is now being exhibited in Stockton, California.
The best of 15 active realists and hyperrealists who specialize in automobiles and motorcycles as their primary subject of choice were chosen to exhibit in eight of the most prestigious museums. You can find the upcoming dates and schedule at https://www.davidjwagnerllc.com/Luster_Exhibition.html.
John is a member of the Texas Visual Arts Association, the International Guild of Realism and recently had his work published in Acrylics Works 5: The Best of Acrylic Painting. “My art is a representation of the memorable features of a subject or event. All of my art is done with a brush; no mechanical devises are used in my paintings.”
And paint he has. Meticulous in everything that he does, this artist has pushed himself to be the best photorealism artist around. “My paintings start with a very detailed drawing. I then use a limited palette to help bring cohesion to the composition. I do under painting, and then a series of washes. Using fewer colors in the palette allows me to be more intimate with the paint. It teaches me to learn how to stretch the paint to create the hues that I desire without introducing different paint colors to the composition.”
Artist John Schaeffer was influenced by his maternal grandmother who was a self-taught landscape artist. For more on his remarkable work, see: https://jschaefferart.com.