Truths and Things I Made Up #13

Comment

Comment by Marty Coleman on November 16, 2012 at 9:19am

Thanks Kristen for the thought provoking review. I appreciate the time you took to look closely at my work! M

Comment by Resident Curator on November 14, 2012 at 9:03pm

Curator’s Comment:  

 

Truths & things I made up about this woman (# 7) is a very provocative piece.  It’s deceptively straightforward and didactic- as if part of a psychological or market based study.  The graphic splitting of the two sets of eyes frames and veils them in a manner that creates visual harmony through repetition, but also shifts perceptions about color and perhaps even ethnic identity.  The neck tie also introduces ideas about gender and (literal) preference- aesthetic or otherwise.  The other images in this portrait series range from dark & disquieting, to more humorous and self depreciating. While they were created some time ago, they make me contemplate social media and the institution of anonymous sharing of personal information.  Certainly market research strategies have been around a lot longer, but the up close and personal cropping of the space puts heightened emphasis on the expectation of, or deviation from, normalcy and perfection. Number  13 in the series is even more voyeuristic and confessional in nature.  I like the bold red lines crossing what seems to be a slightly compressed pink-lit face.  The minimal domestic architectural setting offers up the expanded theme of social class mobility, especially when juxtaposed with the text referencing the less fortunate.  Embellishment in the form of cosmetics and jewelry also cannily place the subject squarely in the role of consumer, belying her surrounding scene.