By Damien Gayle
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With their spectacular use of focus and reflected light, these incredible artworks look like carefully composed still-life photographs.
But in fact they are all painstakingly rendered on canvas with acrylic paints by Canadian artist Jason de Graaf.
The hyperrealistic paintings, which almost appear as if they are computer generated, are like freeze frames of a world more magical than our own - inspiring the term Magic Realism as a description.
The X-Statix: Acrylic on canvas 30in x 24in
Untitled (Self-portrait): Acrylic on canvas 30in x 30in
Bedlam: Acrylic on canvas 24in x 30in
Dalliance: Acrylic on canvas 24in x 36in
Fluid mechanics: Acrylic on panel 22in x 42in
That Morning: Acrylic on wood 24in x 18in
A Wave Of Refreshment: Acrylic on canvas 30in x 24in
Kiwi Splash: Acrylic on canvas 30in x 40in
Suspension Of Disbelief: Acrylic on canvas 24in x 36in
Apple Blossoms: Acrylic on canvas 24in x 18in
Archimedes' Principle: Acrylic on canvas 30in x 30in
Cherries: Acrylic on canvas 30in x 20in
A Perfect Day In Which Nothing Really Happened: Acrylic on panel 21in x 35in
Foilscape: Acrylic on canvas 24in x 18in
Born in Motreal, Canada, in 1971, Mr de Graaf currently lives and works in Oka, Quebec, where he works for hours on end in almost total isolation to complete his intricate pieces.
He first photographs his still life compositions, before drawing them on to canvas with pencil then painstakingly recreating the images - coloured by his own interpretation - with acrylic paints over many days.
From 1993-1996 Mr de Graaf studied illustration at Dawson College in Montreal. After years of full-time and part-time illustration work, he has devoted himself entirely to painting since 2005.
He cites diverse influences ranging from M.C. Escher to Johannes Vermeer, but says that watching a local illustrator demonstrate painting with acrylics inspired him to develop his unique style.
Heliocentric: Acrylic on canvas 40in x 30in
Ice Palace: Acrylic on canvas 24in x 36in
Theory of Probability: Acrylic on canvas 36in x 36in
Vanity Fair: Acrylic on canvas 30in x 24in
Spirits Of Oisterwijk: Acrylic on canvas 36in x 36in
Nancy's Room: Acrylic on canvas 24in x 20in
Obscura: Acrylic on canvas 36in x 24in
Ocean View: Acrylic on canvas 39in x 26in
Perihelion: Acrylic on canvas 24in x 30in
Photorealism at the Millennium: Acrylic on canvas 36in x 24in
Seven Chambers: Acrylic on canvas 36in x 24in
Solstice: Acrylic on canvas 18in x 36in
Strawberries on Foil: Acrylic on canvas 36in x 24in
Tandem: Acrylic on canvas 40in x 30in
The Sphinx of Delft: Acrylic on canvas 24in x 48in
Trinity: Acrylic on canvas 30in x 24in
Eventide: Acrylic on canvas 20in x 30in
Vesalius Skeleton: Acrylic on canvas 36in x 24in
Vessels: Acrylic on canvas 36in x 18in
Mr de Graaf told Poets Artists magazine that his paintings are about creating the 'illusion of verisimilitude', filtered through his own vision of the world.
'Though I use photographs as the image source, my goal is not to reproduce of document faithfully what I see, but to create an illusion of depth and sense of presence not found in photographs,' he said.
'Many of my paintings are about the relationship of light with reflective and transparent surfaces and my journey to understand those qualities and convey my sense of wonder and intrigue over them.
'Lately I have been trying to imbue my paintings with a sense of narrative and lyricism.'
Mr de Graaf is represented by the Plus One Gallery in London and by Galerie de Bellefeuille in Montreal.
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Take note Tracey Emin, how a real artist can draw, (Not just scribble and say ' it must be good, I studied at Art School and i'm a Professor of Drawing')
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absolute tosh, these are clearly photographs reproduced onto canvas. - edge of reason, poo poo to you you Clearly, they are not photographs reproduced on canvas, anyone who has any knowledge of photography and art would realise that. ==================== These are not 'paintings as such, they're made by projecting a photograph onto a canvas then painting over the image. Not as technically difficult as it might seem really........................... - sdewolfe, Nottingham UK, You'll be having an exhibition of your own no doubt soon. =================
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WOW!
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Excellent art
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A waste of paint and a waste of talent.
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Absolutely Amazing, this puts every other artist into the shade.
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Undeniably brilliant!!!! Commenter's like Johnnie Walker, Scotland, 09/6/2012, 16:01 Chris, Asia, 09/6/2012 15:59 and MAT, Berkshire, 09/6/2012 16:09 are jealous and I don't blame them for it!
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Awesome, i can't draw a circle with out a plate. Strawberries look good enough to just pick up and eat. All art has different aspects Mona Lisa, The hay wagon, all have beauty to different people. To me these are still awesome
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Simply stunning
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I taught art for 25 years. If I was spending this amount of time painting something, I would not just copy a photograph. - Johnnie Walker, Scotland, 09/06/2012 13:07 /// I taught art for 25 years. I prefer Dali and Magrittes work to these.- Johnnie Walker, Scotland, 9/6/2012 16:01===== As the old saying goes, "those that can, do - those that can't, teach."
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