Local Philadelphia artist, Liz Rywelski puts her own spin on the idea of conceptual self portraits with her series entitled "American Portraits". For this project, Rywelski assumes a temporary identity and visits Kmart photo studios, asking for assistance on how to best style herself for the shots. She will assume the role of a girlfriend sending pictures to her boyfriend overseas, a recent college graduate wishing to send her family current pictures, as well as various other personalities. Instead of being the sole creator of her portraits, she lets the vision of the Kmart employee shine through - allowing them to fully use their own insights and ideas instead of her own. As opposed to Cindy Sherman, who she is sometimes compared to, Rywelski's own image of herself is completely removed from each situation. The employee becomes the facilitator of each piece, and Rywelksi removes her hand from the project entirely. While Sherman completely structures how her conceptual portraits are created, Rywelski relinquishes all control and allows the employees to decide what looks best. The final products are a combination of portraits and performance art, and definitely unique.
Resources:
space 1026
Liz Rywelksi - Identity Performance & Meta Performance
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