An art critic might say something like: Hyperrealism is a natural outgrowth of the epistemological challenges of late-stage capitalism. The style reaches for a reintegration with the senses at a time when even the present moment has been disrupted through mediation by what Guy Debord would call “the Spectacle. ” Hyperrealism, as the a perfectly illusory re-presentation of stilled life, is a manifestation of both our yearning to reunite with the phenomenal world and the impossibility of ever returning to that place we once called home.

But an artist might just say: the skills exhibited in the still-life paintings of Pedro Campos are extraordinary. Here’s more from artnet:

Madrid-born Pedro Campos (b. 1966) started his career not as an artist, but as a restorer. In fact, he didn’t pick up oil painting until he was 30. Within a few years, however, he had committed himself to it completely, creating meticulous hyperrealist compositions. Over the past 40 years, Campos, who is represented by London’s Plus One Gallery, has carved out a signature niche within the hyperrealist world, working in a color palette that emphasizes dark backgrounds and pops of white and red. His works center around prescribed subject matter: luxury cars, aluminum tins, candies in glass jars, macaroons, and the spines of art books.

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