Nakamura Ganjiro as Oman 1954

Natori Shunsen made this print of Nakamura Ganjiro as Oman, and what strikes me is the layering of identity here. It's not just a portrait, but a portrait of an actor *in character*. The actor’s face is still visible beneath the white makeup, and this tension is something I can really relate to as a painter. Look at how the lines defining the face are so precise. Each one seems essential. Then check out the soft, hazy background. The contrast makes you wonder about the push and pull between revealing and concealing. The fan itself is like a little painting within the print, a softer, more atmospheric world held within the actor's grasp. It gives the whole thing a kind of meta quality that's really compelling. It reminds me a little of some of Morimura Yasumasa’s photographic self-portraits where he inserts himself into famous paintings. I think both artists use this sense of playful ambiguity to get us thinking about the nature of performance and representation.