Like the “Crowd,” ”Mask,” and “Pair” series “Visage” examines the disconnect of understanding between an individual and the group. While similar in appearance to “Mask’s” portrait format, “Visage” differs significantly by comparing the rendered subject to the media itself, instead of the viewer.
In order to further the distance between the viewer and subject, in “Visage” I try to balance the focus between the formal elements of the work as well as the represented image. The interest in non-objective work often stems from an opposition to the illusory nature of representation and the inherent split between media and image, where paint or graphite attempts to trick the eye. The problem fueled Alan Ginsburg’s push for an art more true to the elements making it: paint as paint and metal as metal. In answer to this issue I choose to actively place the subject on the same level as the media in an effort to bring illusion and form together. At times hair, a cheek or an eye are rendered illusions in the drawing, yet a nearby swath of paint often covers part of the flesh, undermining the perceived image and bringing these two elements into the same space.