Cooler but still well above normal this week

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

An exhibition on display all this month at the 

invites viewers to ponder what exactly makes a compelling portrait. Minneapolis Institute of Arts curator David Little was asked to jury the show. Little says while the portrait is as old as art itself, photography excels at the task.

Little whittled down more than 1200 submissions from 232 photographers using a technique that was at once both methodical and instinctive. His first choice amongst them all is the image you see above - "Hugo" by Joseph Holmes. Taking second prize was the work of a Minnesota photographer - Don Clark's "Young Kate in Sheep Fank."

Little says a good portrait must excel at three different levels: form, history and content. A good photographer knows how to use the tools of his or her trade both on location and once they're manipulating the photograph in the studio. This is reflected not just in the quality of the print, but in the framing of the subject. As for history, Little says people who are immersed in photography are familiar with certain images that really define key moments in the evolution of the art form.

Finally, Little says, "content" is what really sets a masterful portrait apart. In this entire exhibition there is not a single movie star or major political figure. How does a photographer not just capture a person's face, but also manage to create an image that speaks to people who have no idea who they're looking at?

It's a Matter of Perspective, Mr President

In the above picture by Lydia Panas, we don't know who these boys are, but the picture invites us to compare the two, and to note the differences in their expressions. The one on the left seems closed and guarded - his bangs almost cover his eyes, and he stands in what appears to be almost military attention. The boy on the right however, is relaxed and open - open eyes, open mouth, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. Are they brothers? Friends? How will the difference in their stances shape their futures?

In Tom Olmsheid's image (above) the power comes in large part from the color, says Little. Bright red dominates, as does the repeating pattern of the American flag.

Little says you need to be careful to distinguish between an image that is truly a great photograph, and one that takes advantage of our sentimentality. For instance in both Olmsheid's image and the image of the military man below, our sense of patriotism is called to the fore. Is this man returning from combat? If so, does he feel lost in this crowd of civilians? At the same time, he seems to embody the calm in the storm, the strong center in a world that's otherwise out of focus.

Little admits that sometimes he can't even define what it is about an image that really speaks to him. In the case of the second prize winner (Young Kate in Sheep Fank), he said it simply succeeded at taking him to a completely different place. In "Josephine" (below) it's the amazing composition - the woman's gangly legs and arms, her long fingers and toes.

Josephine looks almost like a squid, and both her gaze and all the energy is focussed on those toenail clippers. It's a fun picture, and it also gives you a sense of what this gal might be like through a very ordinary and intimate moment. But again you don't need to know her to appreciate the image.

The Mpls Photo Center's portrait exhibition is on display throughout the month of January, with an opening reception on Friday, January 8. Admission is free. 

Mpls Photo Center celebrates the portrait

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox