St. Francis 2007

Kehinde Wiley made this painting, St. Francis, with oil on canvas and he’s really pushing the boundaries of portraiture, remixing historical styles with a totally contemporary sensibility. Look at how he’s built up the layers of paint, using a smooth, almost airbrushed technique for the figure, so different from the flat decorative patterns in the background and foreground. And what about the colors? Wiley is really playing with contrast here. The coolness of the blues and whites against the warmth of the figure's skin tones. It's all so deliberate, each detail, like the light catching the number 14 on the football jersey, has been carefully considered. Then you notice the floral flourishes. They seem to both frame and liberate the figure, creating a kind of tension or visual buzz. This painting reminds me of Mickalene Thomas' work, in the way she reclaims and reimagines portraiture, giving it a new life and energy. What I love most is how this work doesn't settle for easy answers, but rather invites a conversation, a kind of visual back-and-forth that keeps unfolding with each viewing.