Me < -- > You

Artists: Grant Boland, Karen Fennell, Stanley Février, Lucien Freud, Miranda July, Nasim Makaremi,  Ethan Murphy, Mary Ann Penashue, Barbara Pratt, Nicholas Aiden Ryan, Jeff Thomas, Rembrandt van Rijn, Andy Warhol, Nelson White

You don’t see something as it is, you see it as you are. For this reason, a portrait is one of the most direct ways to explore the complexity of the human experience. It shows how we are woven into the world. It can contain questions about identity or make statements about social issues. It can affirm, uncover, bear witness, subvert and (as with selfies) put control in the hands of the subject. It can challenge whether likeness exists in an exact replica, or even whether the presence of a face is necessary for a portrait.

This group exhibition brings together historical and contemporary paintings, photography, video and choreography to approach portraiture as a record of relationships—between the artist and their subject, and between the visitor and the artwork. These can range from celebrating historical figures to exposing hidden histories, from mourning those we’ve lost to celebrating those we love. Throughout, the works in this exhibition reveal various efforts to connect the distance between ourselves and others.

Banner Image: Installation view of Me <- - > You.