Unseen (Portraits, Somebodies) 1998

Bruno Jakob’s ‘Unseen (Portraits, Somebodies)’ is a painting, I guess we can call it that, on paper. When I look at this, I immediately think about that blank page feeling, you know? The terror of a new surface! Maybe Bruno felt it too. But then, he just embraced it. The gentle bumps and folds that are created by his hand act as his brush. I love how it's not about 'look at me', but about 'can you see me?’ It's there, but barely. Like a ghost of an image. And, the color… or lack thereof! That subtle off-white that says everything and nothing all at once. It's like he's whispering secrets only the paper knows. It's like he is asking: what is presence? What is absence? And can they be the same thing? Bruno's playing with ideas of visibility, of what we expect from a portrait. And that is what makes it linger in your mind.