45 Portraits

pictured: #16 (Lincoln), detail

As Co-Director of Vinegar, I was a Shape resident alongside all other participants. In addition to the Shape residency itself, I experienced something I think of as a “meta-residency” with my collaborators Celestia Morgan and Ann Trondson (and, at times, Tony Bingham), in which we really challenged ourselves to adaptively serve our creative communities in the summer of 2020, to explore the boundaries of what an artist residency can be and how we might reimagine a shared creative “space.” All of this left me questioning how I can also retool my work as an individual artist to better serve my community.

I have been planning my project, 45 Portraits, for about two years now. It took time to develop the concept and to create the paintings themselves, but I also felt there would be something missing in the work if it was to be presented as a project that starts and ends with the paintings themselves. I have felt compelled to take a hard look at the U.S. and its presidency, but do not believe that my perspective is special or more important than anyone else’s. So during this residency (which for me began earlier in 2020 as the meta-residency I mentioned above) I identified a way to foreground other people’s values and perspectives in the work by offering the paintings for purchase via competitive bids starting at a relatively low price. The community’s bidded “votes” on the U.S. Presidents convey their values and spark conversations. And, as an additional effort to support my community (inspired by Shape and by the community itself), I will give 50% of the net proceeds to Be A Blessing Birmingham.

Bidding is taking place online now until election day, November 3, 2020. I hope not only that this series will contribute a substantial donation to Be A Blessing Birmingham, but that it will also spark nuanced and productive conversations about this country and its leaders. You may “cast your vote” here.