Ian Hornak (1944-2002) was an American draughtsman, painter, and printmaker based out of Easthampton, New York. He was a founder of the Hyperrealist and Photorealist fine art movements and has been named the first Photorealist artist to take the effect of multiple exposure photography and incorporate it into his landscape paintings. Born on January 9th, 1944 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Slovakian immigrants. During his childhood he lived in both Brooklyn Heights, New York and Mount Clemens, Michigan. He graduated from New Haven Highschool in Michigan and continued onto the University of Michigan-Dearborn before he transferred to Wayne State University in Detroit.
Hornak earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art in 1964 and a Master of Fine Arts in studio art in 1966 from Wayne State University. During his career Hornak came to know both Lowell Nesbitt and Gertrude Kasle as well as many other notable figures in the art world. Through these relationships Hornak was introduced to the New York City art scene. Hornak had exhibits at Eleanor Ward's Stable Gallery and in the Tibor de Nagy Gallery where he had his first solo exhibition in New York. Later he moved his exhibitions to the Fischbach Gallery where he remained until 1984, and in 1985 Hornak moved to the Armstrong Gallery in New York City where he had one exhibition. Hornak finally settled at the Katharina Perlow Gallery where he held nine critically and financially successful solo shows.
Ian Hornak passed away on December 9th, 2002 in Southhampton, New York at the age of 58.