52 Portrait Heads

http://www.prlog.org/11741568

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:19:31 -0500

http://www.prlog.org/11741568

8/2/11-THE PRESENTATION

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:35:34 -0400

The first Presentation of The Project was on July 28. The meeting room was set up with the painting 52 Portrait Heads in the center. The photographic collage of those not painted was also displayed. The Power Point of each painted portrait and some anecdotes about the person was projected. There were books of this blog on a table. A list of conceptual words were posted. The moveable magnetic photos were on an easel. The free-standing totem was on the floor. The song Dust in the Wind played in the room through surround sound speakers. Attendees explored this for about a half hour.

I then spoke about concepts and process. This was followed by 8 of the people who helped create the piece speaking about their contributions and experiences. The audience enthusiastically participated with comments and questions. There was additional time to explore the piece. People did so with more interest following The Presentation. Even though the subject of MORTALITY was ever present, there was a genuine interest and camaraderie facilitated by good spirits and much humor.

A video was created and will be posted soon. This is the 7th component of The Project and will be looped at future presentations.

I believe that even more people were touched!

A BRIEF SUMMARY

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:19:00 -0400

WHO

140 people allowed me to take their photograph for this Project. I used 52 of those photos as references to make the oil portraits in the painting component of this piece. I used the remaining 88 to make the photo/collage component.

I was a computer novice when I began. Cara helped me start this blog. Her Dad, Steve, then took over my computer education.

Steve also worked with me to mount the 88 photographs. He made the Power Point and contributed in designing the support for the totem of photos. He spent innumerable hours thinking and advising about so many other aspects of this piece as well.

Judy was my expert framer. She was also an active follower of this blog and contributed by giving me encouragement and thoughtful incite.

Alan cut the tiles (with Steve) on which I painted the 52 portraits. He also created the tools that allowed me to attach the paintings to the back board with ease and accuracy. He advised on adhesives and found the metal company to cut the 52 pieces for the interactive component piece. Steve and Alan brainstormed to design the support for the totem of photos. Then Alan built the support. Alan was also a regular reader/contributor of this blog.

Gary was my cheerleader at home. He brainstormed with me to come up with the idea of having a presentation at LVCC. He also helped me on the Rockefeller
Center photo shoot. He is the primary video photographer for the first presentation.

Paula was the first to initiate a photo shoot. By allowing me to come to her office at UNICEF headquarters in Manhattan, I got my first shots of people from around the world. She is responsible for designing the technique for recording release forms so that I could easily determine the names of my subjects. She also was a regular reader and responder to this blog.

Linda was the first of my friends to volunteer to help me on a public photo shoot. She accompanied me on the first outdoor shoot which was in front of the Museum of Modern Art (NY).

Sylvia read about this shoot on the blog and came out to help. She raked in the subjects as Linda got the release forms signed. I then took the photos.

Cheryl accompanied me to John Jay Park on a quest to photograph children. Many of them were with caretakers. We found enough who were with their parents to take a great many useful photos.

Eileen and I went to Union Square Park on a fabulous spring day. Our specific aims were to find a redhead and “interesting looking” others. We were extremely successful and had a most unique day!

So many others read the blog and commented either in person or electronically. Many visited my studios. Their contributions added incite and expanded the conceptual aspects of The Project!

INCLUSIVE

WHAT?

I planned to paint one portrait a week for a year on a 5”X5” board from photographs I took of a diverse group of people. These would be put together to form a single painting. The photos that I did not use to paint from would become a separate piece.

I had many concepts/ideas/expectations when I began but anticipated much evolution as time passed and work progressed. I planned to document the progress of this piece. I hoped to achieve a degree of intimacy and understanding of my subjects as well as to involve many in the creation of ART. The lists of words that expanded as I worked are the CONCEPTS of this piece.

The very first evolution was the switch from the written journal to the electronic blog. This enabled many more people to be INCLUDED. I received advice and opinions about every aspect of this piece as a result of blogging. The books I made from the blog are another component of the piece.

I arranged the 52 cameo tiles in a particular composition. I “signed” the piece with my self-portrait at age 16 in the lower right hand corner. In order to involve more people in the PROCESS of creating a composition, I made a movable magnetic component from the 52 photos I used as references.

A photograph makes a flat image appear three-dimensional. I create the illusion of three-dimensionality with paint. The portrait tiles are raised from the back board.
They enter our space. I created the totem component made from the 52 photographs I used in order to have them actually stand in our space thus making them more real.

These individuals are more three-dimensional to me as a result of having studied their likeness as I painted. I know each person’s name. Even though we may have only spoken for a few minutes, I recall many things about each meeting. The Power Point component allows the viewer to experience these people. It makes them more real as well as less MORTAL.

WHEN?

I shot the first photographs at a meeting in Manhattan on August 9. 2009. We cut the tiles in Alan’s wood shop on August 19, 2009. I began a self-portrait on August 24 and the actual painting routine in September.

On August 10, 2010 I announced that the paintings were completed on this blog.

The mounting of the 52 tiles and all the other components were worked on through July, 2011.

The PRESENTATION which will be the 7th component is on July 28, 2011.

TIME

WHERE?

I staged public photo shoots at UNICEF headquarters in Manhattan, The Museum of Modern Art, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, John Jay Park and Union Square Park. While I sometimes had specific goals in mind, my aim was always diversity.

I also took photos of people at other times. I honor those who helped me and who wished to have their portrait painted by painting them. It should be noted that several contributors opted out of this.

I also photographed people in Southeast Asia, California and Florida.

HOW?

I enjoy the painting PROCESS. It is solitary TIME. The thrill of seeing a painting grow is my reward.

I also relish the TIME spent with others as I created with them. As more became interested in this collective effort, The Project gained and I became more excited about it. I enjoyed this so much that I am now in the process of beginning a new PROJECT. www.walktogetherproject.wordpress.com

WHY?

It was TIME for me to move out of the studio and into the world.

52 Portrait Heads is a Project about working with and painting people.

It is about TIME. I painted one portrait a week for a year. A photograph freezes time.

It is about MORTALITY. I paint a portrait which further freezes the moment. Several volunteers verbalized their desire to be painted as a vehicle to immortalization. People who are younger were more consciously interested in FAME. Fame leads to immortality.

It is about INCLUSION and COLLABORATION. In an effort to understand and connect with people I would probably never have met, I moved out of the studio. I brought others with me who also connected with these people. I painted images of these people and in the PROCESS connected further. This blog also connected people and so forth and so on.

It is about PROCESS. Few individuals with whom I worked collectively are artists and yet they were enthusiastically involved in creating this art Project.

The Presentation furthers this process of inclusion.

Future showings further all the CONCEPTS!

7/12/11-THE PRESENTATION!

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:22:00 -0400

There have been no posts for a while because the Project is almost finished. I am currently fine tuning the first Presentation scheduled for July 28 in Lords Valley, PA at 7:30 PM.

A first audience will interact with the various components of the piece. I will then present a brief (and I hope entertaining) ”explanation” of the concepts and the evolution of The Project. This will be followed by comments and anecdotes by many of the people who helped in various capacities. The audience will be invited to comment and question. Since this is an inclusive Project, some of the input from the group might be added to the next Presentation. The video of this evening will be shown at future Presentations. (52 PORTRAIT HEADS will be shown again in its entirety within the year. I will post that information here as soon as it is finalized.)

…and I am still constructing several components! Yesterday Alan, Steve and I spent time in Alan’s wood shop designing and building the structure that will support the photo/totem. I then brought it back to my studio to sand and paint. I could NEVER have done this without their expertise. THANK you both again for your willing participation AND contagious enthusiasm!!!

I am also waiting for a call from a local sheet metal business. Alan helped contact them and explain what I need to construct the interactive piece. I am waiting for them to cut 52 small pieces as a special order.

…and Steve has been at work creating the Power Point about each of the people whose portrait I painted. Thank you yet again!!!

This is all most AMAZING! The willingness of so many people to get involved, contribute and make this HAPPEN has allowed me to achieve my vision. I look forward to sharing it with YOU.

5/16/11-TIME/Immortal

Mon, 16 May 2011 13:33:49 -0400

52 Portrait Heads has immortalized another person.

On May 1, 2011 my mother-in law, Sylvia Moss, passed away. Her memory and her painted portrait live on.

…and, of course, this is the painting component. The 52...

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:49:32 -0400

…and, of course, this is the painting component. The 52 tiles are slightly raised from the backboard. The entire piece is framed.

The collage of the other 88 photographs is still at the framer’s. The PowerPoint and the script for the First Presentation is being created. There will be 8 panel members on July 28, 2011. The Presentation will be videoed.

Ronnie Seiden-Moss, 4/22/11

52portraitheads@gmail.com

…and the NEW Project: www.walktogetherproject.wordpress.com

This is the participatory component. The 52 reference photos...

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:40:15 -0400

This is the participatory component. The 52 reference photos are in magnetic frames. Viewers of the entire Project are invited to rearrange them to create their own compositions on a magnetic board.

This is The Blog Relic component. I made a hard copy of each...

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:34:00 -0400

This is The Blog Relic component. I made a hard copy of each entry when I wrote it. There was a spontaneous fire in my studio which burned some of the entries.

This is the Totem of Photos component. I used...

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:29:47 -0400

This is the Totem of Photos component. I used these photographs to paint 52 Portrait Heads.

3/26 The NEW PROJECT: Walk Together

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:52:27 -0400

I have just created the blog for my new Project:Walk Together. You can read about it at: www.walktogetherproject.wordpress.com I look forward to your contributions and support…thanks!

I continue to work on components of 52 Portrait Heads as well.

Ronnie Seiden-Moss

Connecting & Getting Involved/3/16

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:39:01 -0400

For all intents and purposes this Project is created. Yes, I am still making inquiries about the steel that will be used with the magnetic, participatory component. Yes, I still have to tweak the PowerPoint and add sound. Yes, I have to create an outline for the panel presentation. Yes, a book needs to be made. Yet, I feel that the work is done and I need to reflect on WHY.

I made 52 Portrait Heads as a way to connect people. Painting images of people allowed me to focus and, therefore to connect. Seeking out models for these portraits made connections. Connecting the 52 paintings in one piece and the 88 photos in another piece connects the various images. Getting people involved in the creation of art made connections. This blog connected The Project and its progress as well as its concepts with many others. The presentation will involve more people and, thus, make more connections.

I also hoped to grow both artistically and personally as a result of working on this Project. Perhaps the most thrilling part of my personal growth is that I learned that people really want to connect. When I told friends and relatives what I was doing, so many enthusiastically volunteered to be part of it. They were and continue to be eager to work with me. People I met and continue to meet are usually excited to participate. Several have signed on to assist on the NEXT PROJECT!

I also grew personally in that I believe that we are truly ALL THE SAME. This knowledge is a most helpful revelation that I come back to continually.

In addition, I now know that this is a good way for me to create art. I am able to fulfill my desire to paint. I am able to connect with other people. I am able to touch others with my art (even before an exhibit is arranged).

I also was not completely aware of the spirituality involved in this piece when I began. Everyone is capable of communicating spiritually. For me this happens when I focus on the physicality of another person in my attempt to represent their image in paint. This also happens when people view the images which communicate the sitter’s spirit to the viewer. My spirit, as the artist, is communicated as well. I touch people with the art, the concepts and with my spirit. People, in turn, touch me. Doing, in general, and using our senses, in particular, are essential to our humanity. I wholeheartedly take the leap of saying that lives are changed by the act of doing-getting involved.

3/3-The Blog Relic

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:02:52 -0500

Yesterday I created The Blog Relic. It consists of the original printouts of this blog which I made immediately after each entry was written. It is, indeed, a “relic” as the individual pages are not uniformly formatted and some are even fire damaged.

This is an important document of The Project in that it deals with key concepts like TIME, permanence and deterioration. It is the “stream of consciousness” piece. It is the initial “sketch.” The second book will take this blog and make it into a tidy creation. It will be the “presentation” art piece.

2/28-Components

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:16:38 -0500

I continue to work on the components of The Project. The main component was, of course, the painting of one portrait a week for a year which was finished in September. The time I spent painting each portrait was an intimate process for me.

The freestanding sculpture made with the photographs of the 52 people I painted was finished several weeks ago. This takes the portraits into the third dimension as they stand in our real space.

On Thursday I assembled the 88 photo portraits of those I did not paint into a single piece of art. My intention is to honor everyone who volunteered to be photographed. I worked in the Hirsch Designers studio. Once again…Thanks, Steve! This piece will be framed.

I also began to create a Power Point presentation. Yesterday I made 52 frames with an image of each painted portrait. I will be adding a reading to accompany each slide. I will tell what occurred when I took the photo of each model. This is probably the only encounter that I will ever have with the majority of the models. It will be available to viewers at exhibitions of The Project and will further the appreciation of the process. It will also spotlight the concepts that were anticipated and those that evolved as time passed.

I will begin to re-create the magnetic piece that was accidentally trashed. The purchase and creation of the steel backboard is being researched. The intention of this piece is to allow the viewer to experience some of the decision making and to participate in the act of creating a composition.

I will be making books of this blog. One will be made from the original hard copies that I printed after each entry. This “relic” includes those pages that were damaged when there was a spontaneous fire in my studio last winter. A second book will be composed as well.

Finally, there is a First Presentation scheduled for this summer in front of an audience of “viewers.” A panel of participants who helped in the creation of this Project will discuss their experiences, thoughts, etc. This will be taped to create another component which will be available for viewing at future exhibitions.

The PROCESS continues on and on and on….

First Presentation

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:45:04 -0500

While The Project has been essentially done for some time, there is still some creating necessary before the First Presentation which is scheduled for this summer.

The collage of 88 photo portraits that were not used as references for paintings are all mounted but have to be attached to a board and framed. The 52 photo portraits that were used to create paintings are in a three dimensional configuration. The script that will be played continuously at The Presentation is written. It includes an anecdote about each model at the time they were photographed and a reading of italicized words from this blog. These words describe the concepts of The Project: 52 Portrait Heads. The book form of this blog remains to be bound.

However, although the movable 52 portraits were cropped and framed, they have disappeared! This emphasizes the transitory nature of things.My guess is that they were inadvertently discarded with the trash! What does that say about permanence? What does it say about what is valuable? I have re-printed the photos and have new frames on order. Everything is replaceable!

This makes the First Presentation scheduled for summer, 2011 real. The Presentation will include a display of all of the above plus contributions from most of the people who assisted in creating The Project. My various assistants, most of whom are not visual artists, will speak about feelings and thoughts that were consequences of participating in The Project’s creation. We will engage in a panel discussion and a question/answer session with the audience.

This will be video taped creating another element to be shown at future presentations. Then (I think) The Project will be a complete piece!

CONCEPTS (as related to each component):

1. 52 Portrait Heads - The painting is a TIMED Project about time and people. It immortalizes individuals by the mere fact that an oil painting has been made of their image. The painting intends to show the diversity of the human family. This is the primary component of the piece.

2. The Photographs - These photo portraits were taken with assistants of some previously known, most previously unknown people. The interaction and participation of so many individuals over the course of the 52 weeks is an important part of what the entire Project is about. We looked for diversity in choosing models on all of the photo shoots.

3. 88 Photo Portraits - This gives 88 people who agreed to have their photos taken the status of being part of an individual piece of Art, although not a painting. They too have been “immortalized.” However, the fact that so many have questioned why they were not painted does point to the fact that an oil painting is a more valued way to assure this fame.

4. Column of 52 - The intent of this sculpture is to give the people in the painting more three dimensionality by taking their photographed image and moving it into real space. The column is free standing but fragile.

5. The Book - Taking the blog out of cyberspace and making it a tangible book adds the tactile and three dimensional aspects of an object. People are further included and participate by sensory interaction.

6. Movable 52 Photo Portraits - The magnetic piece allows the viewer to compose. Involving people in the creation of an art project is another concept. There is no one way to create, to live, to be. This participatory piece invites artistic composition and gives status to individual creativity and intelligence.

7. Audio - The repetition of words and stories related to The Project adds another sensory way to perceive The Project. The stories of the individuals need to be heard. The concepts that are intended need to be heard.

8. The Helpers’ Presentation and Panel - The stories of the people who volunteered to help in the creation of The Project also need to be heard and told. People signed on to assist and were touched, perhaps changed, by their participation. Saying their thoughts in their own words is essential. Involving an audience in questioning, philosophizing, being part of the piece pushes inclusiveness further. This should be both fun and philosophical. It speaks to the desire that most people have to understand how a piece of art is conceived and executed.

9. The Video - The making of the video at this First Presentation adds another dimension to the inclusive concept of the piece. “Film” makes for fame and immortality. In future presentations this video adds sound and movement to the documentation and experience of 52 Portrait Heads, the entire Project.

12/17-Growth

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:26:17 -0500

Thought and planning continue as I work towards completing the various components to The Project: 52 Portrait Heads.

A preliminary script is written . I will create a voice recording in which I tell something memorable about the encounter with each subject on the day that I photographed them. In this audio I will recite various words that describe concepts of this Project. These words appear in italics throughout this blog. Many were in my original concept. Many others evolved as time passed.

I am exploring creating a music mix to accompany the audio component. Since this is not my area of expertise, I will have to collaborate. Thus, another individual will be brought on board. The audio will further enhance the experience of The Project.

The 52 photos that I used as references for the painted portraits will be in magnetic frames. Viewers will be able to participate by manipulating these to create a temporary composition of their own. Inclusive.

The 88 photos of subjects who I did not paint will be mounted on a board that is the same color as the board that the paintings are presented on. These photos are individually mounted and I have composed an arrangement. This piece will be framed. It is an individual piece of art that honors those who consented to be photographed. Participation.

In choosing the 52 photos that I painted from, I looked for a certain mix, a variety. In addition, I wanted to give special thanks to those who were participants in creating The Project. I painted only those assistants who wanted me to.

I will create another piece with the 52 photographs of those who I did paint. This will be a freestanding piece constructed of 4 sided open cubes. These photos have been mounted. Even though the paintings and photos are mounted three dimensionally, this piece will literally take the flat photos into the sculptural.

Hard copy books of this entire blog will be created. I am thinking of presenting 2 versions of this book. (Multiplicity, is another concept, after all.) One book will be made from my original hard copies that I have been printing as I write. This is important because of the fire that I had in my studio causing many of the pages to be burned but not destroyed. The second book will be a clean presentation.

Finally, as a result of a brainstorming session, I will make a presentation of all of these components. In this first presentation, many or all of my assistants will speak about their feelings, experience, involvement, etc. in 52 Portrait Heads. I will have this video taped and edited. This documentation will become an additional component of all future exhibits of The Project.

The Project continues to grow!

11/22

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:16:58 -0500

I have written the first draft of the script about each of the 52 people I painted. It consists of a short description of my perception of the interaction that occurred on the day I photographed each model. My plan is to record this and have it play continuously when The Project is exhibited.

I continue to research possibilities for exhibiting the entire piece. While this will require a certain kind of space, there is the possibility of showing just the painting first. It is, after all, an individual and complete piece of art which is more adaptable to display. However, this diminishes the ramifications of the entire Project which is about more than creating likenesses. The concepts discussed in the blog are less understandable without the two companion photo pieces and the audio.

I am also re-thinking at least one of the photo collages. The 88 photos of people who I photographed but did not paint should be presented in a format similar to the painting. This gives all my volunteer models a similar status. Thus, I would place them in 8 rows of 10 on a board that is the same color as the board that the 52 paintings are mounted on.

Previously I was content to create another piece in exactly the same format as the painting with the 52 photographs that I used as references for the painted portraits. The difference would be that they are movable. My plan was to rearrange them periodically during the exhibit. The constant change of the composition reflects life in general. It also conotes that there are many ways to compose art, lives, etc.

If, however, I use those 52 photos in a very different configuration, I say more about the act of creating a piece of art and about being human. The very same beginning can lead to other concrete end products. So I toy with ideas for three-dimensional pieces. Should the photos be on freestanding columns? Should they be made into cubes. Should they be suspended from above and move with the flow of air? Should there be a companion video loop with the recording? Should I create all of these? How many permutations are enough? When will there be too many?

…and ALWAYS the big question…WHY?

11/5-Dealing Out the Deck

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:42:00 -0400

Yesterday was another day of cropping and mounting photos. Once again, Steve was on hand! He will make the final cuts to produce a beveled edge at his leisure.

The next step will be arranging the 88 photographs of volunteer models that I did not paint on a single board. I will make another piece with the 52 photographs of the volunteer models that I did paint.

While working yesterday, I realized that I was missing one photograph of a model I painted. In order to identify which one that was, I asked Steve to place each photo on top of the painted portrait that I created from it. In order to do this, we had to place the entire painting horizontally. It was a little game that is similar to what is done to determine which card is missing from a deck of 52.

Dealing out a deck of cards or 52 Portrait Heads (in this case, 51) is an exercise that is not very different from how we each go about our lives. We have to work with what we are dealt, after all. I have noted previously that the 4 rows of 13 portraits are very much like a card game. I made the comparison to life at that time as well. Here are 52 lives that are being (or have been) lived with what they have been dealt.

This makes me realize that I should emphasize that the painted portraits could have been arranged in different configurations which parallels how people choose to arrange their lives. I glued the oil paintings in this particular sequence. Other sequences are possible.

I will make the 52 photographs of the models I painted movable. When the piece is on display I will rearrange them periodically. This will mirror the fact that these 52 souls have the ability to take the infinite things that comprise what they were dealt and arrange their lives as they choose.

I will, however, keep the 88 photographs of models I did not paint in a permanent arrangement. This mirrors the oil painting. In composing the images of those I did not paint, I create another permanent piece of Art with their images. The painting and this permanent photo collage are two individual works of Art that I made to honor the volunteer models.

10/27 (52portraitheads@gmail.com)

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:53:52 -0400

Here are some updates:

I printed more copies of the photographs of both “models” who were painted and those who were not. Another day at the framing studio is necessary to mount them for the collage.

I have been working on the “script” for the voice component. This will tell about the encounter with each model on the day the photo was shot.

I am exploring the idea of collaborating with a musician to create music to accompany the stories I tell.

The frame for the painting 52 Portrait Heads is in. I will bring the painting to the studio when I go to work on mounting the photos.

I have been exploring some venues to show the entire Project.

I continue to work on my panel paintings.

Photo

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:07:05 -0400

Some of the mounted photos.

On October 14, Steve and I worked on cutting and mounting 80 of...

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:59:53 -0400

On October 14, Steve and I worked on cutting and mounting 80 of the photos.