Self-Portrait 1982

Ivan Albright captured himself on canvas in 1982, seemingly using layers and layers of paint to map the terrain of his own face. The colors are muted, earthy – like he dug them right out of the ground. I can almost feel the weight of the brush in his hand, the deliberate way he must have worked to build up that incredible texture. What was he thinking as he painted? Was he confronting his own mortality, or just fascinated by the landscape of wrinkles and age? Look closely, and you'll see the way he used paint to carve out the hollows of his cheeks, the way he captured the glint in his eyes. The gaze is intense, unwavering, but tinged with melancholy. This is a face that has seen a lot, felt a lot. It reminds me of Rembrandt's self-portraits, that same unflinching honesty. Painting is an act of empathy, a conversation across time. What would Ivan and Rembrandt say to each other about painting? How did they feel about getting old? I love to imagine it.