Thursday, September 16, 2010

On Portraits: Abby Sangiamo

So I have been working with portraits this semester. I have been reflecting to my roots as an Undergraduate at MICA and my professor in Portraiture, Abby Sangiamo (see link).

I enjoyed reading his Artist Statement at his website:

Abby Sangiamo's Artist's Statement:

"Whenever I begin a series I have a rough idea how the first piece will look but none at all about the last, years later, down the road. When a series looses its will to accommodate new ideas I give it up and move on. The frontal portrait series lasted through eight years and several hundred works, until ‘81, but a few years ago, inspired by tattoos as personal narrative, I breathed new life into some long forgotten pieces from that series that struck me as needy… and ready for dramatic change."

Literalism & Invention:

"I take liberties with mediums and methods but not with the structural integrity and recognizable identity of my subjects."

The Source:

"My efforts have not been the result of philosophical introspection about the nature of art or a rationalized commitment to one kind of image making over another. I simply use my particular skills and inclinations in a way that feels most personally “right” at the time. As an artist I don’t feel the need for a conveniently selected philosophy of art or reality to give my inclinations its blessing."

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