Philip Pearlstein: An Interview

Philip Pearlstein (b.1924) began painting figures in the 1960s and is known as a leading figure in American Realism. Throughout his career, Pearlstein's paintings evolved from an expressionistic style to a meticulously analytical vision. His work attempts to present the model as a documentation of the painting session, and his paintings are closely rendered under the existing studio lighting.  Attuned to art history, Pearlstein is as interested in pattern and composition as he is in the body itself.

"I made up my mind that I was not a good existentialist. I'm not concerned with what’s going on in other people's minds. I'm happiest when I can just paint what I see," he says in this interview with Kate Horsfield.

A historical interview originally recorded in 1977 and re-edited in 2007 with support from the Lyn Blumenthal Memorial Fund.