Portraiture and Representation
Dawoud Bey, Deas McNeil, The Barber, from the Harlem portfolio, 1976
Dawoud Bey, A Woman Waiting In The Doorway, from the Harlem portfolio, 1976
Dennis Stock, Untitled, from James Dean: A Memorial Porfolio, 1955
Carrie Mae Weems, untitled #2451, 1990
Nicholas Nixon, The Brown Sisters, 1986
Sally Mann, Candy Cigarette, 1989
Tina Barney, Marina and Peter, 1997
Tina Barney, Marina's Room, 1987
Diane Arbus, Two Girls in Matching Bathing Suits, Coney Island, NY, 1967
A portrait is a photograph that is composed to convey information about a personʼs appearance, identity, and mood. Studio portraits rely on details such as clothing, hairstyle, facial expressions, and body language to teach us about a subject. Environmental portraits present a person in a context or setting that contains details that add to what we learn from their physical appearance. Choices made by the photographer including use of soft versus hard light or framing and vantage point can also influence our perception of the subject.
