#ben durham

Jack — Ben Durham, 2012

Ben Durham's recent solo show at New York's Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery featured a series of very large graphite drawings, each photo realistically rendered on handmade paper. Nothing very out of the ordinary about that, right? There are tons of people who have mastered the art of graphite portraiture. But these portraits were just a little bit... different.

The source of Durham's portraits were mugshots. Mugshots of former classmates.

Mugshots, of course, are easily obtained as public records, which is how Durham located his source material, merely searching arrest records and finding booking photos of childhood friends and acquaintances from which he could base his drawings. Moreover, fair use provides for the reproduction of copyrighted material (i.e. the mugshot photo) for purposes of "news reporting" and since all arrests are in the public domain... Durham's drawings are, effectively, reporting the news.

Ah! But the story does not simply end there!

Close inspection of Durham's work reveals a bit more than simple lines on paper. Each portrait is actually drawn by the rendering of word, statements, and memories that the artist recalls about knowing that particular person, overlaying words atop words until they can barely be discerned, giving depth, light, and shading to each face.

It may not be great weather, but I hope you've made plans to stop by the gallery from 6-8 to come see Ben Durham and Robert Beatty perform Heather (dictated text)!

Robert Beatty and Ben Durham

May 11th, 6-8pm

Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery