John, 1st Baron Byron 2013

Editor: This is Kehinde Wiley’s “John, 1st Baron Byron” created in 2013 using acrylic paint. The figure strikes a modern pose against an elaborate, almost overwhelming, floral background. It feels very vibrant, in a way that's also kind of unsettling. What do you make of it? Curator: Unsettling, yes, it’s meant to disrupt, I think. Wiley takes historical portraiture, often of European noblemen, and then, *bam*, replaces the subject with contemporary young Black men. It’s about visibility, claiming space in a world that often overlooks or stereotypes them. Editor: So it’s about taking something established and kind of remixing it? Curator: Precisely. And the backgrounds, these vibrant, floral patterns? They’re not just decorative. They can represent the subject's heritage, their own vibrant identities, and they directly engage with the history of pattern-and-decoration in art. Notice how the floral motifs seem to almost encroach upon the figure. Where does the subject begin, and where does the artifice of background take over? Does the ornate background threaten to engulf the subject, or does the contemporary figure redefine the ornate tapestry of art historical context? It gives me so much to consider. Editor: That's a great point about the patterns being representative and how it connects to heritage. It feels like more than just a pretty backdrop. I never would have seen that at first glance! Curator: Art, at its finest, does nothing if not lead one into an avenue of new possibilities. I'm quite glad we were able to make this exploration.