Portraits

from June 08

Last weekend I was at the National Portrait Gallery to see "Ballyhoo", this was an exhibit that was a look at historical posters that used portraits to sell. Not just product or entertainment but also to promote a political point. Specifically the choice of portrait and how it was used. They even had the Wanted Poster of John Wilkes Booth after he had assassinated President Lincoln.

The idea was to follow how art, pop-culture and marketing work together. Given both my love of art and profession, it was a fun exhibit. And my companion that afternoon is not only in politics but was political history major. So I learned a lot.

As we were leaving, we came upon an exhibit of a series of black and white portraits all shot by Edward Steichen for Conde Nast publications. Subjects were the movers and shakers of times past from many different industries. Many I recognized or knew from history... but many I had no idea who they were.

He sought not just to capture the likeness in a beautifully composed shot but a bit of their personality as well. There were so many riveting pictures but for some reason it was the portrait of Henry Luce that I loved the most.

He was the founding publisher of TIme, Life AND Fortune magazines. These were all revolutionary magazines in their time. They changed the way the we received their news.

It was his pose that was so arresting I think. He is comfortably sitting in an easy chair... legs out stretched and crossed. He looks relaxed but still elegant. The camera angle is from the side so he is in profile. And its back lit so he has almost this glow to him. He's also holding a cigarette and the smoke twists and turns as it floats away. I fancied the idea was to convey Mr. Luce visions are very much a part of who he is.

Portraiture was actually what I first connected with in the art world... I think I was 12 years old. It was because the subjects were real people with a story that was all their own. Those stories were sometimes recorded somewhere, but more often than not they were lost. I'd stare hard at their eyes trying to see if the artist was able to give me a hint. Then I discovered that the artist used other devices to share who that person was with the objects in the painting as well as the pose. Which led to my learning about symbolism etc and then my passion really evolved beyond portraits.

But, I still remember my first love. Part of it was that my imagination would really run wild whenever I'd be STRONGLY drawn to a particular one. I'd always been intrigued by the idea of reincarnation. So I"d consider the idea that in another life I knew that person. I'd tell myself all sorts of stories. I stopped that daydreaming sometime in college.

I had completely forgotten my flights of fancy when looking a exhibits of portraits until looking at Mr. Steichen's work. All those faces peering out at me and I started to daydream again. Wouldn't it have been cool if any single person passing through that day, who couldn't tear their eyes away from a portrait was because in another life they loved that person or they were that person?!?

I think I will bring my kids back one weekend to see a collection and tell them that little fun idea to consider.