The Hillsdale Art Department will host a new show in Daughtery Art Gallery beginning this weekend titled “Likeness,” featuring portraits by Assistant Professor of Art Julio Suarez and Visiting Professor of Art and Director of Daughtery Art Gallery Roxanne Kaufman.
The opening reception will take place on Friday, Feb. 18 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“It’s a good time. We’ll have some food and refreshment,” Suarez said. “It’s always fun. We like to see how folks react to the work.”
Kaufman, who is a documentary portrait photographer in both digital and film formats, said that the show focuses on how community is still important in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The initial thought was that we are both portrait arts, so we should do a show together,” Kaufman said. “But we thought the ongoing social climate with COVID-19, to have a show that represents being with people reminds us of what is really important and that community is still thriving.”
Suarez said he painted most of the portraits for this show, and painted a fair number of his portraits from photos rather than people in-person due to concerns and conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a way to challenge himself.
“That is not usual for me,” he said. “I wanted to see if I could find a way to make it work. A big part of the show was seeing if I could work from photos and bring some life to it.”
He notes the challenge of creating portraits is for the artist not to impose anything on the person.
“It is about looking and observing what is there, without bringing too much of your own personal aura,” he said.
Suarez said he looks forward to interacting with people who view his work.
“In the end, it is the viewer that reacts to it,” he said. “You would think it is pretty straightforward, representational art, but folks react differently than you might think even considering being an artist.”