How John Mitchell Shakes Up Portraiture Mitchell is conscious of the many profound changes occurring in our society, and the urgent need to challenge old tropes. (NSFW)

Hyperallergic ^ | October 19, 2022 | John Yau

[C19fan]

I have been thinking a lot about portraiture over the past few years because of the changes that artists of color have made to what has long been regarded as a conservative undertaking. Museum surveys of Kerry James Marshall, Jordan Casteel, and Jennifer Packer have upended the long-held presumption that portraiture is the domain of White artists and White subjects. As I see it, there is still much to be done in this area to increase self-definition and the visibility of people of difference.

[RoosterRedux]

I just scanned this article again quickly, but I can't for the life of me locate the political/sociological components you are speaking of.

Can you point me to an example?

I know the opening of the article (following below) sounded like the article was heading in a kind of racist direction, but I could find anything else of that sort...

[So and so] upended the long-held presumption that portraiture is the domain of White artists and White subjects. As I see it, there is still much to be done in this area to increase self-definition and the visibility of people of difference.

[RoosterRedux]

Along the lines of our discussion, I find a lot of art criticism (not this article though) sounds like something a Jacques Derrida disciple would write about a piece of literature. Not being a student of deconstruction, I always thought such criticism sounded like critics were seeing things that just weren't there. Or better yet, were "trying" to see things that just weren't there or even inventing things that just weren't there as a dog-whistle to another person of their ideology (i.e., Marxism).

Sheesh. I'm even beginning to sound like one of those people myself in the above comment. ;-)

[RoosterRedux]

Correction to comment #21: "but I could find anything else of that sort" should be "but I couldn't find anything else of that sort"