Imaginative Realism

Tony Baselici

The photorealistic details in my oil paintings aren’t used to simply demonstrate technical ability. My real goal is much more surreptitious. Truthfully, I only use the verisimilitude of realism to suspend disbelief in the stories and characters that make up my figurative imaginative realism and narrative portraiture. A healthy dose of ambiguity is mixed with detailed imagery that encourages every viewer to use his or her own personal experiences to finish the open-ended narratives I present to them. Visual styling like my bold use of line, color and value contrast is designed to inexorably affect the viewer so that, whether or not he or she likes it, they will remember it. To that end, I will usually isolate my figures from a natural environment and place them in a simple abstract arrangement or on a color plane where their narrative and compositional roles are exaggerated. The result is rarely subtle. I strive to create something fiercely beautiful by emphasizing the most alluring parts of reality and imagination.