Tag Archives: portraiture

James VanDerZee

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

James VanDerZee, [Group in car], ca. 1920s (753.1990) James VanDerZee, The Actor, 1922 (853.2000) James VanDerZee, [Unidentified Man], ca. 1923 (650.1990) James VanDerZee, Escape Artist, 1924 (883.1990) James VanDerZee, A Pioneering Negro-Owned Grocery, 1927 (859.2000) James VanDerZee, [Unidentified Boy], 1927 … Continue reading →

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Consuelo Kanaga: African-American Portraitist

Posted on April 4, 2013 by

Consuelo Kanaga, Annie Mae Merriweather, 1936 (14.1982) Consuelo Kanaga, Frances, 1936 (15.1982) Consuelo Kanaga, She Is a Tree of Life to Them, 1950 (21.1982) Consuelo Kanaga, After years of hard work, 1950 (19.1982) Consuelo Kanaga, The Question, 1950 (22.1982) There … Continue reading →

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Faith in Chaos

Posted on September 27, 2012 by

Pep Bonet, Kinny Mattia tries to feel the morning light. “Milton Margai” is the only school for the blind in Sierra Leone. Approx. 85 children, 4 to 18 yrs old, study and live here. In 1998, when RUF-rebels attacked Freetown, … Continue reading →

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Brion Gysin, Paris, 1987

Posted on September 20, 2012 by

Mellon Tytell, Brion Gysin, painter and novelist, who developed the “cut-up” technique with William Burroughs in the 1950s, Paris, 1987 (120.1994) Written on back of the print: “Towards the end of his life, his main objective was to get people … Continue reading →

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Recent Acquisition: Accidental Mystery

Posted on September 18, 2012 by

Unidentified Photographer, [Two unidentified girls, one eating watermelon, the other disrobing], ca. 1960 (2012.24.1) The rich history of snapshot photography has yet to be written. But when that text is transcribed it will finally be possible to understand the complex … Continue reading →

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Magritte with Hat

Posted on August 23, 2012 by

Duane Michals, Magritte with Hat, 1965 (2012.39.1) “Among my pantheon of myths, Rene Magritte casts the furthest shadow of illumination,” says Duane Michals about meeting the Belgian artist in 1965. “I was 33 and he was 65 when I visited him … Continue reading →

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Rediscovering Disfarmer

Posted on July 19, 2012 by

Mike Disfarmer, [Unidentified Woman and Man in front of Cabin], 1930s Mike Disfarmer, Arthur, Doreney, Artisee, Patsy, Oneda, Darlen, ca. 1940s Mike Disfarmer, Eva Dean, Betty Jo, ca. 1940 Mike Disfarmer, [Unidentified Woman and Three Children], ca. 1935 Mike Disfarmer, … Continue reading →

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Portrait by Katy Grannan

Posted on September 17, 2010 by

Katy Grannan, Kamika, near Route 9, Poughkeepsie, NY, 2003, from Sugar Camp Road To find subjects for several series, American portrait photographer Katy Grannan placed ads in local newspapers: “Art Models. Artist/Photographer (female) seeks people for portraits. No experience necessary. … Continue reading →

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Say Cheese!

Posted on May 13, 2010 by

Alexander Liberman, [Robert Rauschenberg in his studio], ca. 1960 Before the invention of the camera, portraiture was  limited to the wealthier classes.  In large part formulaic, portraits tended to be idealized, and contained signifiers that pointed toward the sitter’s wealth and … Continue reading →

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Irving Penn, 1917-2009

Posted on October 7, 2009 by

Irving Penn, Mrs. William Rhinelander Stewart, New York, May 20, 1948

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