| Paul Loehle Portaits |
My work is based on an interest in the prevalence of Individualism and the need to
establish Identity in contemporary society. My thought process concerning western
culture has led me to understand the human being as a self-aware species of
animal having a preoccupation with immortality. Throughout history people have
utilized religious, social, and personal constructs to guard against the prospects of
death, mediocrity, and lack of purpose. This preoccupation seems to have been
reinforced with the rapid advancement of technology and emphasis on pop culture
in the last few decades, especially with the emergence of the internet, and sites like
Myspace and Facebook. These sites seem to me to reflect the newest generation’s
desire to establish Identity in a way that is quick, anonymous, and disposable.
establish Identity in contemporary society. My thought process concerning western
culture has led me to understand the human being as a self-aware species of
animal having a preoccupation with immortality. Throughout history people have
utilized religious, social, and personal constructs to guard against the prospects of
death, mediocrity, and lack of purpose. This preoccupation seems to have been
reinforced with the rapid advancement of technology and emphasis on pop culture
in the last few decades, especially with the emergence of the internet, and sites like
Myspace and Facebook. These sites seem to me to reflect the newest generation’s
desire to establish Identity in a way that is quick, anonymous, and disposable.
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I see Myspace as an intermediary to create artwork that anyone can relate to. I use traditional drawing
media to render the “profile pics” of anonymous people on Myspace; then I post an image of each drawing
on my own page and briefly inform the subject of what I have done via email. Their responses become part
of the work. Through the process of meticulously reproducing each image, life size or larger, I reference the
relationship of artist and patron in old-fashioned portraiture. This delicate sensibility to the craft of drawing
acts as a counterbalance to the hasty and disposable nature of the snapshots on which the images are
based. The act of raising the image to the status of an artwork reflects the narcissism of the subject and
simultaneously calls my own vanity into question, possibly creating a two-way mirror for artist and subject.
media to render the “profile pics” of anonymous people on Myspace; then I post an image of each drawing
on my own page and briefly inform the subject of what I have done via email. Their responses become part
of the work. Through the process of meticulously reproducing each image, life size or larger, I reference the
relationship of artist and patron in old-fashioned portraiture. This delicate sensibility to the craft of drawing
acts as a counterbalance to the hasty and disposable nature of the snapshots on which the images are
based. The act of raising the image to the status of an artwork reflects the narcissism of the subject and
simultaneously calls my own vanity into question, possibly creating a two-way mirror for artist and subject.