Sunday, October 9, 2022 - 11:00 AM 4:00 PM

and Sunday, October 9, 2022 - 11:00 AM 4:00 PM

Revēlō (to show, uncover, reveal or disclose)
Portraits and self-portraits have been fixtures in art for centuries. They can reveal both hidden and visible characteristics, create fantasies and myths, describe performative roles, and question identity. How do we construct and project our identity and reality via portraits? Do they open a window into ourselves and our lives, or protect our vulnerabilities?

Disguising or revealing identity can take many forms. It can be of the other, the self, or the familiar; it can be figurative or expressed as an intimate or inanimate object. When portraying our personal reality, a portrait can be of a place, a thing, a concept, a feeling, a belief, an event, a moment, or a memory.

Memories change over time and we can use the metaphor of an archaeological excavation as a way to remember previous experiences. Does a portrait represent a moment in time rather than a static, universal expression? Artists such as Cindy Sherman, Zanele Muholi, Vivian Maier, Hugh Mangum, and Samuel Fosso put versions of themselves in their work to explore the concepts of identity, reality, and message. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many artists were restricted to using themselves and their familiars as subjects. Who are we now?

North Carolina Museum of Art: Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park