Physiognomy is the study of a person’s physical attributes as a reflection of their character. As science, it is considered outmoded; its links to eugenics are a particularly dark moment. But in the arts it still has currency. Often in movies a person’s physical appearance conveys who they are. This idea that at a glance one can ascertain character seemed an interesting correlate to the practice of portraiture. It served as the point of departure for this body of work.

This series of revealing portraits is a study of disposition. The psychology of the individual is suggested by facial expression and color. Color serves as a metaphor for emotion. The synthetic quality of the palette is achieved by using newly available pigments. The occasional elongation or widening further emphasizes a sense of the unreal. These qualities are a response to a twenty-first century of cosmetics, artificial light, elective surgery, and psychotropic medication. We see the world through a scrim of modified perception. Each picture is a subjective response to a troubled face.