becky like a baby copy

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on March 27, 2016 at 6:59pm

Curator’s Comments:  

 

While I’m unsure of the media of this piece - Becky like a baby (copy)- the photographic nature of both the decided realism and cropping of the image ask some interesting questions about photographically generated or inspired portraiture.  The very light, overall high key value pattern doesn’t appear washed out as in an overexposed photograph.  Instead, the pale values make me look closer to make out essential details.  To this end, some expected shadows fall away, as in the spatial distinctions between the chin and neck.  Other gradations in darker values seem to have been distilled down into faint lines, such as in the brown strands of hair and the rounded sides of the nose.  The eyes and lips became focal elements by default compositionally, but are arguably the most important features to translate expression.  Her direct stare and positioning don’t demure, but are softened nonetheless.  I ultimately interpret the portrait as expressing feminine vulnerability.  Perhaps this can be attributed to the reclined pose and suggestion of a pearl necklace on the young girl.  But the title also poses the question to the viewer of whether or not the subject is this exposed; ie. like a baby, or is something altogether different.  The light tones soften any contrast, and so the piece becomes s a skillful and subtle play on how we read images that we initially take in as “true”.  Yet we know truth is always in the hand of the artist.