featuring Simon Kogan

The issue of the “likeness” in the portrait has always been an issue and a question from students. In Simon’s eyes, it has always been misunderstood. He has always been interested in people and portraiture. And now, through the experience of teaching and in his own practice, the realization of likeness has become a fact. The modern portraiture through cameras, 3D printing, and phones has essentially ruined the intimacy of a real “portrait.”

Discussing the artistic approach to the portrait, we have to realize what the likeness is made out of and how you achieve it. The likeness does not account for features. It is made out of a collection of abstract marks. It could be the color on paper, the tone and drawing on paper, and/or in 3-dimensional masses put together in the right order. When we create the same portrait twice, it will never look the same as it did a half hour ago. What cameras and 3D scanners do is record and not interpret. There is no interpretation or sensation or feel; no senses or emotions. Somehow, something gets lost in the translation of the humanity of the person who the portraiture is of when it is done by technology and not human hands.

Many times, we roll onto the cliff of counting parts (eyelashes, noses, ears, so forth) to try to create likeness. We are forgetting it is a form to begin with; a collection of color and a character. It does not happen with the “parts.”

Simon’s main lesson in his course is to make his students believe what they do is true. If they are honest in what they do, see, and feel, it is okay. They are usually on the hunt for academic skills, and many times it is not as important as utilizing their senses and their truth as artists. It is a continuous fight to change the way they think improvement comes. It is easy to focus on the academic side, but you won’t get anywhere if you are not being true to yourself in your art.

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