John-Churchill-Duke-Of-Marlborough II 2012

Kehinde Wiley’s painting of “John-Churchill-Duke-Of-Marlborough II” is a layering of realistic and decorative elements. Wiley's approach is interesting; he takes traditional portraiture and infuses it with contemporary references, creating a kind of visual remix. There is something about the skin tones in this painting that feel so alive, so immediate, the brushstrokes are blended but still visible, giving the surface a tactile quality. Then there's the background, a riot of patterns and colours that push against the foreground figure. Look at the way the light catches the edge of that piece of wood he’s holding, it's like Wiley is asking us to consider what it means to see, to represent, to be seen. It’s a conversation that keeps going, constantly evolving, like art itself.