Portrait Of A Couple 2012

Kehinde Wiley made 'Portrait of a Couple' with oil on canvas, and it’s like stepping into a maximalist dream. The flat pattern behind the figures is just buzzing with color, but Wiley isn’t afraid to let that flatness sit right next to the super-rendered figures. I find myself staring at the way the two figures hands touch; it’s the only point of real contact between the two people. The level of detail is kind of incredible, look at the light hitting the skin and those t-shirts! Wiley seems to be in conversation with artists like Warhol, someone else who was interested in elevating everyday imagery, but he's pushing it in a different direction. This painting really lets ambiguity reign, and you know what? That's more than okay with me.