Self-Portrait 1982

Ivan Albright made this self-portrait in paint sometime around 1982, and boy, did he use it. It's a pretty relentless look at getting older, with a wild attention to detail. You can really see him working, trying to figure it out. The texture is just everywhere. It's thick, and built up like layers of time, especially around the eyes and mouth. There's this one spot right above his lip where the paint seems to almost bubble—it's both fascinating and a little disturbing. The colors are mostly muted, grays and browns, but then there are these unexpected hints of pink and red that give it a strange, almost feverish quality. Albright reminds me a little of Lucien Freud in his unflinching gaze, that commitment to showing what's really there, even if it's not pretty. It’s a reminder that art doesn't always have to be easy. It can be a challenge, a question, a confrontation.