Unofficial Portraits

A necktie–for those who still wear them–is like a wearable self-portrait. It projects to the world how you see yourself and how you wish to be perceived: serious or frivolous, conservative or fashion-forward. Sometimes the wearer gets his wires crossed and telegraphs conflicting messages. Though it should come as no surprise how elegantly (and capably) some right wing brutes package their convictions, the weird admixture of official policy, public persona and sartorial display can be a toxic brew indeed. As much as anything, this project is an effort to remember their names and marks a return to the original conceit of the work: can I make that? And sometimes–given the out-and out-ugliness of some of these ties (I am talking about you, Stephen Miller)–can I make that better? Like the Presents from 2019-20, there is a satisfying tactility to the Unofficial Portraits. Some of them comprise four layers of 300 gsm paper each, in contrast to the super-flat collages I’ve made in the past.