(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2008) Heaston, Paul Bradford; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Sara Mast
In the wake of the emergence of the photographic portrait over the last century, I aim to examine the current relationship between the painted portrait and photography; specifically, the use of the photograph as a tool that can inform and transform the investigation of identity in painting. While a great deal of my interest lies in translating the photographic image into paint, I am more interested in what the nature of my process can reveal about the people I know. I believe my intimacy with the sitter turns the process of transcribing a clinical and often unflattering photographic examination into a more challenging psychological exploration of my relationships with both the subject and the viewer. I force myself to make editorial choices to reconcile the impartial and detached information provided by the camera with what I already know about the sitter.
