Passing;Posing 2005

Kehinde Wiley made this painting, Passing; Posing, playing with oil paint like a virtuoso, and bathing everything in warm oranges. Wiley sets up a space where contemporary portraiture meets the grand tradition of historical painting. I can imagine him in the studio, layering the paint, figuring out how to make those hands just so, locked in a visual conversation with painters of the past. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing those saturated colors laid down, one after the other. Look at how the orange fades into yellow at the top, really amplifying the regal nature of the figures. It's like he’s asking, how can we make something new out of something old? Each painting is a wrestling match with art history, and he’s pinning it down with his own unique swagger. Wiley is part of a chain of painters, echoing, responding, and remixing what came before.