Portrait #2 2022

Adam Caldwell made this painting, Portrait #2, with oils on canvas, sometime in the last few decades. Caldwell's technique here is quite interesting, because he combines very finely rendered details, like the woman's eyes, with areas of the canvas that are much rougher. The contrast really brings the woman's gaze to life, while drawing attention to the material reality of the painting itself. This material quality is further accentuated through the mask, which obscures the lower half of her face. It bears another painted image, this time of a group of younger faces. The way Caldwell layers these images is like collage. He’s building up a story, a narrative out of fragments. This layering and obscuring also highlights the act of image making itself, reminding us that what we’re looking at is a constructed representation. So, this is not just a portrait, but a commentary on the entire act of portraying.