PREISS FINE ARTS presents “Absurd Realities”, a playful and provocative selection of fine art photographs that find humor in the hyperreal. Featuring works by Alison Jackson and Tony Kelly, alongside icons such as Albert Watson, Rankin, and Ellen von Unwerth, the collection explores the boundary between truth and fantasy—with a smile.
“Elton John training his Reindeers” by ALISON JACKSON
limited edition of 5
Alison Jackson, the undisputed master of the art-world “deep fake,” has built her career on making the unreal feel almost believable. Her photographs of celebrity lookalikes performing the impossible—royals at beauty salons, presidents caught in absurd intimacy—turn media mythology into biting satire. Jackson’s images are both hilarious and unnerving, exposing our collective obsession with fame and the voyeuristic pleasure of seeing behind the curtain.
“Queen on the Loo” by ALISON JACKSON
limited edition of 5
Tony Kelly takes a different but equally audacious route. His candy-colored world of polished perfection flips fashion and advertising photography on its head. Everything looks desirable yet slightly deranged: legs as architecture, luxury turned surreal, glamour with a wicked grin. Kelly’s photographs invite the viewer into a pop fantasy where the joke lies in the excess.
“Room Service II, 2024” by TONY KELLY
limited edition of 25
What unites these artists is their precision and wit. Their humor isn’t slapstick—it’s intelligent, self-aware, and executed with impeccable style. Beneath the laughter, Absurd Realities captures the cultural contradictions of our time: beauty and absurdity, fame and fabrication, truth and performance. The result is a visual language that’s both deeply contemporary and timelessly human.
“Donkey and Carrot, Heimat” by ELLEN VON UNWERTH
limited edition of 3
“Carmen with a Cup” by ALBERT WATSON
limited edition of 25
For collectors, these works are more than conversation pieces—they’re cultural snapshots. Jackson’s staged illusions and Kelly’s pop surrealism define a new chapter in fine art photography where irony meets craftsmanship. Each artwork is instantly striking yet layered with meaning, bridging the worlds of fashion, celebrity, and art.
“Pills’n’Thrills” by TONY KELLY
limited edition of 35
Owning one of these images means embracing the paradox: that humor can be profound, and the ridiculous can reveal something true. In a world oversaturated with images, these photographs stand out for their audacity, their polish, and their ability to make us stop, laugh—and think.
“Whoopi Goldberg as Mona Lisa” by TIMOTHY WHITE
limited edition of 25
“Gran Teatro La Fenice, Venise, Italie, 1992, Un Fantôme à L’Opéra III” by GÉRARD UFÉRAS
limited edition of 2
“Absurd Realities: When Art Makes You Laugh” celebrates photography’s funniest side, proving that wit and sophistication can coexist in perfect harmony. These are artworks that entertain, provoke, and endure—proof that in the right hands, even absurdity can be elevated to fine art.
“Abbey Clancy” by RANKIN
limited edition of 5
