The artwork titled “Telephone Booths” was created by Richard Estes in 1967. It is an exemplary representation of Photorealism, a movement characterized by extremely realistic depictions of everyday scenes. Estes employed acrylic paint on masonite to craft this cityscape genre piece, which currently resides at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, Spain.
“Telephone Booths” is a piece that offers a meticulous, almost photographic rendering of a common urban sight. It features a row of phone booths lined up side by side, with transparent glass panels revealing the urban environment reflected and refracted within. The gleaming surfaces and crisp linework capture the play of light on glass and metal, producing a layered visual experience that merges the interior and exterior spaces. The painting captures an array of reflections and details, including signage, pedestrians, and the bustling city life, ensnared within the glass vitrines of the telephone booths. Through his skilled use of paint, Estes creates a depth and complexity that invites the viewer to untangle the intertwined images, a signature approach of his exacting style.
