Blackwell began his career as an Abstract Expressionist; however, under the influence of Pop art in the 1960s, he re-aligned himself with photorealism, producing naturalistic depictions of motorcycles that conveyed the shiny surfaces of modern consumer culture. In other works he has turned his attention to elaborate shop window displays, capturing the reflections of street scenes that merge with mannequins and posters, paintings that recall the work of Richard Estes. At times the outlines of historical buildings are also reflected, creating a synthesis of old and new, reality and artifice.