when you’re in the mirror…
February 13–April 20, 2025
Minnesota Museum of American Art

Through every era, convention, and form, portraiture is built on the artist’s perception of both physical and emotional characteristics. To be perceived in this way is exceptionally vulnerable. The relationship between artist and subject influences the intimacy of seeing. A beloved matriarch, for example, might be depicted differently than a model for hire or a romantic interest. Through this relationship, the artist creates something tangible from something abstract.

Mimesis, or complete likeness, is not always the goal. The idea of someone (their spirit, their aura, their feel) is also desirable to impart. There is tension and ambiguity in this balance, but it is a necessary concoction.

when you’re in the mirror… is an offering of portraits that considers the repercussions of perception through a relational emphasis. Who is depicting whom? And why does that matter?