My goal as an artist is to understand humanity, to imagine and project myself into the world of my subjects. I am an empath. I want to know what they are thinking. How do they love? How do they cope with adversity? How do they wear their soul on their face?
As our far-right government is trying to legislate their own particular brand of stoicism, one formed by their dear leader, one that is at least in part the result of their own sense of entitlement and antipathy toward DEI policies, our society continues to decline because of our grotesque lack of empathy. These Trumpian sycophants are imposing their romanticized ideals of self-reliance, justice and fairness on people who not only don’t share their perspective but who never had anything close to the same advantages and opportunities they now take for granted. Sure, no doubt these conservative lawmakers struggled and worked hard to get where they are. But the unseen hand of white privilege, something they refuse to acknowledge, something they inherited, something they didn’t cause but went along with, played a major part in each of their success stories. It opened many doors for them, which were closed to others. Perhaps they refuse to acknowledge the existence of this unseen force because it might somehow undermine their feeling of individual accomplishment. The idea of white privilege is in conflict with their belief that they are self-made men.
What they won’t acknowledge is everyone is in large part a product of their environment. My struggles and accomplishments have taught me to empathize with the oppressed. Their struggles and accomplishment taught them to feel superior. The significant difference between conservatives on the far right, who are now in charge, and liberals, is empathy. Empathy for the other does not make us “snowflakes.” It is a way of being that compels us to take action on behalf of our fellow human beings, as if they were us, which they are. We are part of what was once called the brotherhood of man. The idea that if one sector of society is suffering, we all suffer is integral to a healthy society. It is the basis of Democracy itself.
What does all this “politics” have to do with my mission is an artist? For one, there is a reason I see very few conservatives who are great artists or who truly appreciate the vision of artists. There are some, of course. It’s not impossible. But the idea of making or understanding art which doesn’t take into account the one thing that makes us most human, namely our capacity for empathy, can only result in a vulgar display of vanity and superficiality. Art to these people is a status symbol, a luxury, nothing more.
The way I practice empathy in a realistic rendering of people is to be honest, without exaggeration. My goal is to celebrate the humanity of my subject without making our differences “ugly.” I tend to create every face “in my own image,” while delighting in our differences. In this sense, every portrait is a self-portrait. I want to be true to what I see but inventive and creative in how I express it. In short, the love and intense focus on my subject, adopting their peers practice, their attitude, their relationship to the world, allows me to notice certain details, while leaving out others that help me get to the truth of the matter.