Untitled 2020

Editor: Owen Gent's "Untitled" piece, created in 2020, is quite striking. The stark contrast between the yellow background and the almost silhouetted figure creates a sense of introspection. What do you see in this piece beyond the visual elements? Curator: This portrait is interesting in how it uses absence to define presence. The silhouetted figure against that yellow background can be interpreted through the lens of historical power dynamics within portraiture itself. Who gets to be seen, and how? Traditionally, portraiture was reserved for the elite, displayed in public spaces to reinforce social hierarchies. Editor: So you are saying that by obscuring the figure in silhouette, it’s subverting that historical context? Curator: Precisely. The use of digital art techniques further distances this from classical portraiture. The work is more accessible in some ways, because the person represented isn't defined by clothes and clear identity. It opens possibilities for greater audience connection with universal human features and experience, wouldn't you agree? Is it perhaps then an egalitarian commentary? Or a loss of unique, personal characteristics in modern times? Editor: I do agree. I hadn't considered it from that perspective. The anonymity invites broader identification. Curator: Right, it democratizes the gaze. We're invited to project ourselves onto this silhouette, think about identity in a modern world. And even more broadly – the museum experience itself, who comes here and sees their values and beliefs reflected, and is the art speaking to them in terms they can access? Editor: That's such an interesting take, connecting it to institutional representation. I'll definitely look at portraiture differently from now on. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Hopefully it enables new discussions on art and the wider world.