Portraits in Landscape
About
Portraits in Landscape (2017), a single-channel video from my “After Arcimboldo” series, is a continuation of my focus on combining eccentric art-historical references with visual smartphone language. Through this process I reflect on the constructions and perceptions of identity in contemporary culture. Unlike the subjects of Arcimboldo’s paintings, the portraits in this series are not of aristocrats and wealthy patrons. Instead they began as 3D models, the avatars of our age, that I digitally shaped into selfie poses. I then overlaid the models with hundreds of emoji, similar to Arcimboldo’s process of using everyday objects to sculpt uncanny human likenesses. Bringing the portraits to life in a hyper landscape teeming with “digital nature” expresses my fascination with how virtual and physical embodiments intersect in our networked communication age. Portraits in Landscape was shown during the world's longest-running digital art exhibition on synchronized electronic billboards. Presented by the Times Square Advertising Coalition and curated by Times Square Arts, Portraits in Landscape was displayed throughout Times Square from August 1st- August 31st, 2018 Presented by Streaming Museum & Harvestworks Studio Acknowledgments: Animation Assistance: Rebecca Singer
