Artpress 1987 Photo Dossier Examines Hyperrealism Through Jean-Olivier Hucleux and Chuck Close

In December 1987, the French art magazine Artpress published a photographic dossier titled 'Dossier portrait photographique : Jean-Olivier Hucleux, Chuck Close, les réalités improbables.' The feature focused on the work of two painters, French artist Jean-Olivier Hucleux and American artist Chuck Close, analyzing their approaches to portraiture. The dossier positioned their work as moving beyond the perceived obsolescence of hyperrealism to engage with fundamental questions of resemblance and truth in representation. By presenting their paintings in a photographic context, the publication explored how their meticulous techniques interrogated the nature of likeness and reality. The analysis suggested that their shared investigation into portraiture revived enduring philosophical inquiries about authenticity in art. The dossier served as critical commentary on the state of figurative painting in the late 1980s, highlighting how these artists' practices challenged conventional boundaries between painting and photography. Artpress used this feature to examine the continuing relevance of hyperrealist methods in contemporary art discourse.