Miles Fiterman 1975

This is Andy Warhol’s photographic portrait of Miles Fiterman, printed on a small polaroid sheet. You know, looking at this image makes me think about how Warhol turned people into images, icons almost, through very precise processes. I'm drawn to the way the colors feel both flat and hyper-real at the same time. The skin tones are so even, like a mask, and the grey of the suit is just this side of dull, yet somehow vibrant. It’s all about surface and the way light hits it. Notice how the slight tilt of Fiterman's head and the shadow play across his face give him this kind of thoughtful, almost melancholic air. The hand, clenched in a fist against his cheek, is such a telling detail. Is it contemplative or is it hiding something? With Warhol, things always seem to have multiple layers. Think of other portraitists, like Alice Neel for instance, and you can see how they are both looking at something quite different. Ultimately, it’s about the push and pull of how we see, and what we’re allowed to see.