Portraits X&Y

X-ray

My work has created a new approach to the classic portrait; the reversible portrait, where a painting is created on both sides of the canvas. The nice classic version on the front (Y) and the free, raw and interpreted version on the back (X).

I strive for these double portraits to have the illusion of a dialogue between artwork and viewer. Thus it offers the possibility to get close to facets of the portrayed personality while, at the same time, integrating the painting and its surfaces.

Y - The classic portrait - The starting point here is the desire to portray reality. Not necessarily naturalistic, but realistic - where one can read the character and personality directly from the facial features.

All portraits looks like the model, but they also to a large extent render the person behind, in a private and intimate mood.

X - The raw portrait - these works are not entirely beautifying! I make every effort to hunt the sincere and original and here, the recognition of the portrayed are not the primary goal.

The discovery of the actual portrait is left to the viewers personal interpretation and imagination. The creation of this type of portraits often leaves me with a question-mark around the role of the portrait in contemporary art. Where indeed is the limit for what the portrait as an independent work is to be able to show either myself or the viewer?