Raphaella Spence Uses Digital Photography In Hyperrealist Painting

(MENAFN- USA Art News) London-born, Italy-based artist Raphaella Spence explores the evolving relationship between painting and digital photography in her meticulous hyperrealist practice. Her work, which focuses on cityscapes, waterways, and historic architecture, is currently on view at Louis K. Meisel Gallery in the exhibition“From Rome to New York.”

Spence's exhibition features aerial views of Manhattan, the complex architecture of Rome, and serene natural landscapes. The artist says the show establishes a dialogue between diverse global destinations, examining how“architecture, light, and atmosphere shape our emotional experience of place.” She is particularly interested in capturing“fleeting moments when a city reveals something beyond its physical structure,” focusing on reflection as a literal and metaphorical motif.

Water, a pervasive element in the show, is especially compelling to Spence because of its constant transformation. She contrasts water's fluidity with the apparent permanence of architecture, stating that“buildings are designed to project stability and certainty, while their reflections are fluid, fragmented, and transient.” She observes distinct characteristics of water in different cities, from the“density and scale” of the Hudson River in New York to the introspective atmosphere of the Tiber in Rome.

The digital age has significantly influenced Spence's approach. While she uses digital photography extensively, she views the camera as merely the starting point for a longer process of observation.“The painting has to offer something the photograph cannot: time, contemplation, and a heightened awareness of seeing,” Spence said. Digital technology allows her to combine multiple images to create a“constructed reality” that reflects her memory of a place more accurately than a single photograph.

Spence challenges the common misconception that Photorealism is simply about copying photographs. She emphasizes that each painting involves“hundreds of decisions about composition, scale, color, atmosphere, and what to leave out.” For her, photography serves as raw material, allowing painting to become“a slower way of thinking” that transforms visual information into an emotional or psychological experience. She hopes viewers move beyond questions of technique to engage with the emotional impact of her work.

Her studio practice is highly intuitive, involving the selection of very few images from thousands of photographs taken during her travels. The final composition often merges multiple viewpoints and adjustments, which she says are intended to make the image“more truthful to my experience of being there,” rather than more dramatic. Spence aims for her paintings to encourage viewers to“slow down,” fostering quiet contemplation and revealing new perspectives on familiar cities.

Source: Artnet News

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