Anderson S. Da Fonseca 2009

Kehinde Wiley made Anderson S. Da Fonseca using oil paint, constructing this regal portrait from many translucent layers. The surface almost glows. Look at the way he's built up the face. The brown is really many colors, lots of reds, yellows and blues blended in there. Wiley gets his models from the street and then poses them in the styles of historical portraits of European royalty. He paints a classical-style portrait, but with contemporary figures and clothes. Then he sets them against ornate, patterned backgrounds. Look at the way the zigzags of the background interact with the squares on the t-shirt, it's so vibrant! For me, Wiley's work always brings to mind artists like Mickalene Thomas, who also makes work about black identity through pattern, history, and representation. Ultimately, these are paintings that invite us to think about who gets remembered in art history, and how.