Portrait Series consists of interactive portraits which play with the human gaze and behavior. Related to old oil paintings and to photography, these portraits focus on androgyny, the fine line between masculinity and femininity. The work questions how we look at art, which usually is patient to be looked at.
This work chooses as its subject characters of androgynous gender. How will the spectator react to the androgynous features of the model? Will they stare at the portraits? Will they feel like being watched, or even ashamed?
Portrait Series no.1 and no.2 engages the viewer – who might stare – by looking back. The work reacts if it is approached, and looks outside its frame – at you.
Says the artist, Inspired by pictures and paintings which give the suggestion that the portrayed one is always looking at you; I wanted to develop an interactive portrait which is not only looked at, but looks back.
Portrait no.1 is developed at V2_Lab as part of the Summer Sessions 2012.
Credit List
Concept & Director: Carina Hesper
Production & technical support: Sebastian Frisch
Ipad/Iphone version: Jan Misker
Model: Karlijn@IDmodelmanagement
Make-up & Hair: Joyce Kern
Clothing: Charlotte Kan
Box prototype: Richard Bierhuizen
Special thanks to: Marc-Pascal Hesper