Portrait Of James Hamilton, Earl Of Arran 2013

Kehinde Wiley painted Portrait Of James Hamilton, Earl Of Arran, using oils, and probably a bunch of other stuff that gives it that super-slick, hyper-real feel. Wiley’s paintings, with their mix of street style and old master vibes, totally scramble your sense of time. I’m struck by the surface, so smooth, almost like a photograph. It’s tight, precise, and yet, look at that floral background. It’s bumping up against this dude's very modern shirt, creating this crazy tension. It’s like, how much is too much? I love the fact that this piece has such a decorative, almost wallpaper-like pattern. It is like pattern is devouring the space, pushing everything to the front. The way Wiley blends portraiture with decorative patterns reminds me a bit of Gustav Klimt. Both artists use ornamentation to amplify the symbolic weight of their subjects, suggesting that beauty can be a powerful statement. This piece is a mash-up, and that's where its genius lies.