Portrait #4 2022

Adam Caldwell made this portrait painting, using loose strokes of paint and collage to build an image that questions the relationship between identity and nationhood. The artist uses a warm palette of yellows and reds, which are tempered by areas of cool blues, pinks, and greys. I imagine Caldwell may have started by painting a fairly straightforward portrait, and then obscured it with those stripes. I am thinking the act of layering that flag over the face, that must have been a really charged act. I can imagine the artist thinking, "How can I use painting to represent the complexities of contemporary identity?" There’s a real tension between the expressive brushstrokes of the face and the rigid geometry of the flag. Caldwell's artistic choices remind me of other painters who are exploring similar themes, like David Hammons or Faith Ringgold, for instance. By evoking the work of other painters, Caldwell invites us to reflect on painting’s ability to question and reframe our understanding of self and society.