Butler acquires super-real paintings

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Butler Institute of American Art has acquired two works by photorealist painter Peter Maier: “Horse-Power (Ben)” and “Madison Avenue at Speed.”

“Horse-Power” — a portrait of a Budweiser Clydesdale — is a 9-foot- by-11.5-foot masterwork that has been on exhibit at the Butler since September. It was painted with automotive paint (DuPont CROMAX-AT) on a fabricated black aluminum panel, and was completed in 2011.

“Madison Avenue at Speed” depicts NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon’s racing car in its actual size. It is currently on view in the Butler’s Donnell Sports Gallery.

“Peter Maier is one of the greatest living realist painters using modern day technology,” said Louis Zona, director of the Butler. “He has extended the traditions of realist masters Vermeer and Rembrandt, and the American legends Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins and Edward Hopper. His work stops us in our tracks, engaging the viewer in wonder and awe. We are honored to have acquired these two monumental works.”

Maier was born in 1945 in Brooklyn, the son of immigrants. From his earliest memories, art was his driving passion.

At age 18, “Pete” was selected to work on the sculpture for the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

After serving in Vietnam, Maier went to work for GM during that company’s heyday. His imprint can be found on a number of their classic designs.

During these years, the young prodigy rose to the level of senior designer, yet his passion for creating art drove him to the fine art world. With his maverick approach, he forged a new pathway in realist painting.

Maier works in a studio in Buck Hill Falls, Pa., away from the mainstream of the art world, where he has quietly revolutionized American Realism.

His groundbreaking technique blurs realism with reality, making his larger-than-life paintings startling in their presence.

The Butler museum, 524 Wick Ave., is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.