Palo Gallery is pleased to present Whose Muse, a new exhibition exploring the legacy of portraiture in the 21st century with works by historic, established, and emerging artists. Whose Muse draws inspiration from a historically powerful tool of representation: portraiture painting. Featured artists include Lorenzo Amos, Miriam Beerman, Sara Berman, Louise Bourgeois, Nell Brookefield, Michal Chelbin, Auudi Dorsey, Natalie Frank, Lucian Freud, Joana Galego, Catherine Goodman, Charlie Gosling, George Grosz, Lewinale Havette, Phoebe Helander, Jane Hilton, Esme Hodsoll, Sergey Kononov, Maria Kreyn, Ronan Day-Lewis, Asher Liftin, Susan Meiselas, Jonathan Meese, Rodrigo Moynihan, Lisa Ross, David Smalling, Dash Snow, Astrid Styma, Yuwei Tu, Frances Waite, Rachel Wolf, Deanio X, Teona Yamanidze, Robert Zeller, and Leah Ke Yi Zheng. Whose Muse explores contemporary portraiture through the evolving concept of identity and what it means to be seen.
Throughout history, portraiture has served as a powerful tool for regimes and individuals of various classes to express power, opinion, and personality. Classical portraiture retained its compelling narrative even through the advent of photography. Many of the world’s most iconic works highlight the diverse purposes found in portraiture, such as Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa, Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, and Adélaïde Labille- Guiard’s Self Portrait with Two Pupils.
For contemporary audiences, the act of viewing a portrait takes place in seconds, often on a phone screen rather than through prolonged contemplation of a painting, photograph, or sculpture. Whose Muse spotlights the challenges of capturing the nuances of personality, power, and propaganda and emphasizes that portraiture is not a lost art but rather one that has become increasingly difficult to master. In a culture constantly pulled away from the intimate and the individual, portraiture offers an intensely personal connection well beyond the three-second examination of a selfie.
The deluge of hundreds of pictures flooding social media has diminished the profound impact of historic portraiture. The artists featured in Whose Muse
showcase the evolution of this medium, through works by artists ranging from Lucian Freud to Louise Bourgeois. As portraiture styles have shifted, so too has the relationship between the artist and sitter. The days of grueling sessions endured by figurative artists to capture the essence and spirit of their subjects have diminished; such intimate moments are now reserved for artists brave enough to stare unflinchingly into the human experience. The superficial mirage of social media now forces artists to navigate the challenges and complexities of portraiture by focusing on authentic representation, personal commitment, and vulnerability. Whose Muse chooses to highlight the demanding nature of portraiture and encourages a return to the art of prolonged contemplation.
