AMERICAN PORTRAITS
AMERICAN PORTRAITS, 2002-Present, Liz Rywelski ©2002
American Portraits, Suites 1-4
2002-Present
In the spring of 2002, I took a trip to see my parents and while I was home I came across a bunch of portraits my mom had put together for me. They were grade school portraits of me from nursery school through my senior year of high school. I lined them up in age order and saw that from nursery school to fifth grade those images were actually more portraits of my parents than of myself. My parents chose my clothes, my haircut, and the background. In comparison to the later year portraits, where my taste and hand are seen in self-expression, the early portraits stood out. I wanted to remake those early portraits, but I was no longer in my parents hands. I was just about to graduate college, become fiscally independent,live on my own, and I felt more in the hands of the economy..(..hmmm, what might that look like?) The seed for this project, American Portraits, was planted during that trip, including 5 Photographic and Performative Suites including over 100 portraits from all over the country. The below framework designed itself throughout the making and collecting of Suite 1. The collaborative aspect (the hands) is what fuels me the most in making this work, it’s like.. I seek out a few employees, tell them I need help.. over subtle interview type conversation I collect what they choose and put it on, they become my parents like in my early grade school portraits. My only purpose is to facilitate the construction of the image and keep my hand as far out of the picture as possible. I’ve met some awe inspiring women during this project, we play dress up on the bosses clock.
Framing: Throughout several generative-format performances, I’ve approached female department store employees in need of customer assistance. I tell a fictional story (I’m getting my portrait taken as a gift for my husband; I just found out I’m pregnant) within an Identity Performance in order to inspire the employee/my collaborator in selecting an outfit, makeup, and accessories for my fictional identification. This performance is unannounced as I play a customer at the in-store portrait studio. During the portrait sitting, I utilize the photographer as she directs me through standardized poses, tells me when and how to smile, and how to position my eyes. I draw on her behind-the-camera-demeanor and conversation in directing our collaboration toward for documentation.
:: American Portraits Suite Structure ::