Paul Cadden: a solo show

About

Cadden notes that “hyperrealism tends to create an emotional, social and cultural impact and differs from photorealism which is far more technical. My inspiration comes from the phrase ‘to intensify the normal’. I take everyday objects and scenes of people and then create a drawing which carries an emotional impact- it can be quite beautiful”. Creating works that focus on specific detail allows each scene to become extremely realistic. Once the artist achieves this level of intensity he has the freedom to play around with the images, enhancing our experience of the everyday and the ordinary. This hyperrealist style allows Cadden to take control of the way in which we perceive his drawings and the people and places he depicts in his work. This authoritative approach starts from the very beginning of Cadden’s artistic process. Initially through Photoshop he begins to highlight specific parts, adjusts the focus or change the depth of field, for example.

 He says “around three quarters of the way through the drawing you start to refer less and less to the material and you make up your own aesthetic judgements when it comes to tonality”.

Giving himself the freedom in making aesthetic judgements is an extremely significant aspect of Cadden’s work. Whilst the viewer can appreciate the works as representations of places and people, they are given a deeper and more complex look in to the vibrancy and emotions that surround these environments. They are no longer just incredibly accurate drawings that look like black and white photographs; they are images that capture the social and/or political culture and feeling of a place and time through pencil on paper.