Clip & save - Art Notes - Brief Article

Most notably, the artist takes exceptional advantage of the flawless quality of the plate-glass windows, which when seen at a particular angle permits reflections of the opposite side of the street as well as enough transparency to see inside the market.

The red used to identify the market brings a warmth to an otherwise cool view of the city in winter, when the sun is weak and low in the sky. It wouldn't be the first time that Estes introduced colors that were not present in an original scene to enhance a painting, however. So, perhaps the red was his invention. In any event, one of the small signs in the store window was definitely an invention: the artist's name rather than the name of a particular food product!

At this extreme level of realism, viewers may be tempted to think that Richard Estes was a slave to what he saw. In fact, like all good art, his work is an original creation where the artist is in control of what was seen rather than the other way around.--G.H.

Richard Estes (b. 1936). Fairway, 1995. Oil on canvas; 34; x 46". Courtesy, Marlborough Gallery, New York.