Howard Kanovitz (February 9, 1929 – February 2, 2009) was a pioneering painter in the Photorealist and Hyperrealist Movements.Howard Kanovitz, whose 50-year career ranged from abstract expressionism to computer imaging, was at the forefront of the art movement known as photorealism. His 1966 landmark Jewish Museum solo exhibition launched this new genre of photo-based painting.
As a photo realist, Howard Kanovitz sought to challenge what is thought of as reality, rather than replicate it. Kanovitz reacted to the emotional punch of abstract expressionism with uncanny compositions and flat planes of color, suggesting a world of ambiguities between the seen and unseen. Of the artist, Chuck Close said: “His influence was that he made working from photographs seem like a good idea.”
