Realism with a cause.

While i cannot dismiss the stunning and painstaking modern movement of hyper realism - whether in sculptures from Quinn and Mueck or painting from Hennessy, i frankly do not like it. The skill is amazing, the overall effect astounding but i feel that sometimes in hyperrealism a sense of the artist is lost. Their own style is secondary to the dedicated rendering of the sitter. However, the work of Anthony Williams i found just about borders onto realism in a terrifically endearing manner. His intense detail, heightened by the small delicate brush strokes, gives equal attention to colour and tone - creating a patchwork affect of all colored strands. His work may appear to be general portraits but his subtly and endearing detail tells a greater story - a worse for wear woman, a deeply scarred man, an awkward family potrait of father and sons. His work alludes to the hyper realism with the prodecure - he uses egg tempera which is incredbily time consuming and tricky to perfect. The scratches he does use build the face up in a gentle and poignant manner, giving each piece a honest tired look. Just glancing at these pieces i feel a sigh of relief for the sitters who are almost exhaling their burdens through the gentle resonance. The layering is detailed however, the colour usage vast but subtle as all stroke lie together to build the curvature of the faces. Here Williams doesn't rely on a brass message, shock factor or novelty, he merely uses the gentle strokes of his brush to create relatable but sympathetic portraits of regular men and women.