donna anderson kam

About Face

The Bedford Gallery
Walnut Creek, CA
April 15 through June 25, 2023. 

Exhibition list:
dateline: (09-14) 4:28 MST Benson, AZ. (AP)—
pastel and conté on paper
72x50 inches

 About Face, an exhibition that explores the tradition of portraiture through a contemporary lens. The show features nearly 100 local, national and international artists and examines how current societal values such as beauty, power, and cultural significance may be perceived by future generations.

The artists in About Face challenge traditional portraiture with current concepts, perspectives and media that reflect the individual. Some, like Dennis Brown, focus on underrepresented BIPOC bodies, while others, like Andy Warhol, use unconventional media, such as 4-minute film portraits called Screen Tests. The artists also break compositional norms, as seen in Marbie's painting Every Time, which depicts the full human form using brightly colored shapes. Despite their different intentions, the artists in About Face share a common goal of reexamining the age-old tradition of portraiture in present-day contexts