Framing Identity

The Ever-Evolving Portrait

Last Friday we went to a portrait exhibit at The Whitney.

It was my day to choose what we did on our family’s staycation. I endured a half-day at Adventure Park in Bridgeport, two hours of bouncing at Sky Zone, a highly overrated Bourne Identity movie and far too much ice cream in order to get to my day.

Friday arrived. And it was almost a flop.

I found over half of the exhibit flat-out depressing.

Truthful. Expressive. But depressing.

Whether the focus was on the one-dimensional self-indulgent celebrity culture, the gritty reality of socio-economic and racial oppression or the wannabe, me-too distortion of our beauty and youth obsessed culture the result was – disheartening.

I will say the honest depiction of the way the world really is was a refreshing shift from the ubiquitous, self-indulgent, idiosyncratic and relentless look at me world of FB and Instagram.

Portraiture, as a genre, has gone from an elitist luxury to a mass obsession.

The medium has changed but the message is the same.

Portraits are created to project a particular image to a particular audience.

Water colors of women draped over red velvet lined chairs in swanky sitting rooms with lace collars and elaborate updos have become selfies of athleisure-wearing babes in cirque du soleil yoga poses sipping green juice.

Oil paintings of men beside their hunting hounds in the field have become groupies of guys celebrating at the top of Mt. Kilamajaro or guzzling beers at a Yankees game or doing cannonballs off the back of some guy’s boat.

They all say “Yes, my life rocks and I am killing it with my kick-ass mojo.”

Just as my distaste for the external victories and tragedies of this exhibit and social media in general was turning my stomach and mood sour, we hit the second floor of the exhibit.

And everything changed.

The definition of what a portrait can be expanded from a conventional depiction of external likeness to an abstract expression of internal character… a montage of inspirational influences… hope!

So, what is a portrait?

If a portrait is merely and magnificently a representation of an individual, possibilities multiply.

Is the representation emotional, intellectual, spiritual? Is it meant to convey a state of mind, a time in life, a mood?

Is it about the duality of existence?

Is it about our human mortality best articulated through melting wax?

Is a person’s self best expressed through the images that define them, that drive and inspire them? Through iconic landscapes and magnified natural images?

How do we best communicate who we are? Beyond the bunch of badges we wear, drive, drink and read… Beyond the stuff we have… the things we do… the way we look… how might we visualize who we are?

This requires a new kind of visual vocabulary. An inside out palette of expression.

A creative eruption of self.