J. Tomas Lopez

2023 Xposure International Photography Festival

The Portrait: Who, What, When, Where and Why

In his session titled ‘The Portrait: Who, What, When, Where and Why,’ Lopez delved into the intricacies of portraiture as a genre in art and explored the questions, originally formulated by Harold Lasswell in the 1940s. 

“The ‘why’ of a portrait is the most powerful question that we often let slide, it is just as important as the who, what, when, and where. It reveals the intention and the message behind the image,” said Lopez, professor and Cooper Fellow in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Miami.

“Portraiture is not just a representation of the person being depicted, but a reflection of the society and culture that surrounds them. Portraits have the power to challenge our perspectives, evoke emotions, and uncover deeper truths about human nature,” he added.

The seminar emphasised the power and influence of portraiture as a tool to convey the qualities and aspects of the subject, be it their wealth, taste, or beauty. Lopez highlighted the evolution of portraiture from being an expression of vanity and ego in the 19th century to a more complex representation of the human condition in the 20th century. 

"Portraiture has always been a means of telling a story, whether it's the story of a person's life, their accomplishments, or their character. As photographers, it's important to understand the power we hold in creating these stories through our images. Today, over 90% of all photos are taken with a smartphone and over 60% of all photos are portraits or images of people. Portraits have come a long way since the 19th century and continue to evolve in the digital age,” he explained. 

The seminar discussed various famous portraits, including the Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt's self-portrait, and portraits of Sarah Bernhardt, Sir John Herschel, and Victor Hugo. Lopez underscored the significance of these portraits, not only for their technical merit but also for the stories and meanings they convey. “The technical aspects of taking a portrait are important, but it's the emotional connection that makes a portrait truly impactful,” he said.

Lopez also discussed the impact of photography on portraiture, especially in the second half of the 20th century. He talked about how portraiture became accessible to a wider audience, and how the rise of celebrities, writers, philosophers and political figures further fueled the demand for portraits. “The purpose of a portrait has evolved over time, from simply capturing a likeness to exploring the complexities of the human condition. The best portraits challenge us to consider the questions in a deeper, more meaningful way.”

 For the full article: J. Tomas Lopez Xposure 2023

Your South Florida Flora, Fauna, and Water

Panel Talk: Thursday, March 23, 2017 – 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

University of Miami Art Gallery at the Wynwood Building

2750 NW 3rd Avenue, Suite 4

Miami, FL 33127

Panel Talk in conjunction with We are HERE by Jenna Efrein.

Short Presentations followed by Q&A

The panelists will explain their organizations objective and how to keep appraised of their activities. Additionally, they will let you know how you can immediately help them. Howard Tonkin will have native species plants you can purchase to feed endanger animal species and clean our air. Dawn Shirreffs will have you text WATER to 66866. These along with other more immersive actions will be presented. Come listen and take part in whatever capacity you can.

Panelists

Dawn Shirreffs - Senior Everglades Policy Advisor

Kelly Cox - Staff Attorney and Program Director Miami Waterkeeper 

Howard Tonkin - Native Species Landscaper, Urban Habitat 

Daron Willison and Meghan Balling - Coral Reef Conservation Program Assistants, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Matt Schwartz - Executive Director, South Florida Wildlands Association 

Jean Sarmiento/ Houston R. Cypress - Love the Everglades Movement

We are HERE is an installation exhibition highlighting the damaging effects of water pollution on the natural habitat of South Florida. Up-cycled bottle glass is used to represent the flora, fauna, and water issues engulfing the rambler in a South Florida environment under destruction. South Florida was originally considered an uninhabitable wasteland. But through efforts of dredging, draining, and genocide it has become an attractive vacation, retirement, and rejuvenation location. Ironically, through the use and abuse of these reclaimed lands the native environment continues to be annihilated. Nature will prevail, but much of it will be lost.

We are HERE will be on view from March 4th to 27th at the University of Miami Art Gallery located at the Wynwood Building, 2750 NW 3rd Avenue, Suite 4, Miami, FL 33127. A full schedule of exhibitions can be viewed at www.as.miami.edu/art. Gallery hours are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 10am to 6pm. *Hours may be subject to change, please call (305) 284-3161 to confirm times. Appointments and Private Tours are available upon request. For more information about the exhibition contact Milly Cardoso, Gallery Director at m.cardoso1@miami.edu. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @umartgalleries

Artist contact information:

Jenna Efrein, jenna@jennaefrein.com or http://www.jennaefrein.com/

Lecture: Thursday, February 25, 2015 – 7:00 p.m. to 9 p.m.
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Gallery
University of Miami 
1210 Stanford Drive
Coral Gables, FL 33146 

The University of Miami's Art and Art History Department is pleased to present an artist talk by Anabel Rub Peicher
.

Art allows me to express myself in a language of my own in which my inner feelings and emotions flow through. I invite you to add your perspective to the narrative of "Inception." Let the curves of the piece and the array of flowers stir your emotions and send your mind on a journey. I encourage you to infuse your story, hopes, and dreams into the limitless design and explore where the feeling takes you. 

The creative process challenges and fascinates me. Working in different media I experiment and transform common materials into works of art. Through my installations I intend to transport the audience to a world of fantasy, where they take respite from reality and allow their imaginations to soar. My work is constantly evolving allowing me to rise to new levels through each creation, becoming bolder and gaining better use of the materials with its boundless possibilities. Above all I believe in respecting human beings, living creatures and nature. We should all strive to spread compassion, happiness, kindness and peace. I encourage individuals and myself to become proactive and to empower ourselves with positive values and to help create a gentler and more peaceful worId.

Born and raised in Lima Peru, Anabel Rub Peicher relocated to South Florida and attended University of Miami where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Architecture.

Inception will be on view from February 9th - 26th, 2015 at the U of M Art Gallery located at the Wynwood Building, 2750 NW 3rd Avenue, Suite 4, Miami, FL 33127. A full schedule of exhibitions can be viewed at www.as.miami.edu/art. Gallery hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 10am to 6pm. *Hours may be subject to change, please call (305) 284-3161 to confirm times. Appointments and Private Tours are available upon request. For more information about the exhibition contact Milly Cardoso, Gallery Director at m.cardoso1@miami.edu.

CONTEMPLATING CHARACTER: Portrait Drawings and Oil Sketches from Jacques-Louis David to Lucian Freud opens October 23, 2015

Friday, October 23 - Lecture, 10:00 am: The Portrait Transformed: The Triumph of Creativity of Vision over Replication of Likeness by Robert Flynn Johnson about curating the exhibition.

The Lowe Art Museum will unveil more than 125 rare portrait drawings and oil sketches in an exhibition titled CONTEMPLATING CHARACTER: Portrait Drawings and Oil Sketches from Jacque-Louis David to Lucian Freud. The exhibition will be on view from October 23, 2015 through January 17, 2016, and promises to delight viewers, especially those interested in the evolution of portraiture from the late 1700s to the present.
 
‌Among the highlights of this exhibition are a late 18th-century work by Jacques-Louis David, four works by Lucian Freud, and Aubrey Beardsley’s decadent India ink portrait of Oscar Wilde. CONTEMPLATING CHARACTER also boasts a fine range of self-portraits, including Adolph Menzel’s right hand drawn by his left hand, and Maximilien Luce’s self-portrait as his hand against the prison wall during his 1894 incarceration on suspicion of anarchy. Included as well is Alfred Hitchcock’s famous profile seen by millions in the introduction to his television series, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”

CONTEMPLATING CHARACTER showcases works that reflect the new artistic movements of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, including Neoclassicism, Romanticism, and Realism. The portraits created during this period were marked by a more honest and gritty incisiveness as compared to earlier portraiture that aimed to flatter the rich and powerful. And, in the 20th century, individuality and the personality of the sitter characterized portraiture as a whole, as evidenced by the four exquisite works by Lucian Freud.

A number of special programs are scheduled around the COMTEMPLATING CHARACTER exhibition, including a Gallery Talk with collector and curator Robert Flynn Johnson, A Journey Not a Destination: Adventures over Four Decades in the Pursuit of Portraiture (the Lowe, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.); a Lecture with Robert Flynn Johnson, The Portrait Transformed: The Triumph of Creativity of Vision over Replication of Likeness (the Lowe, October 23, 10 a.m.); a Gallery Talk on portraiture with Dr. Eric Zafran (the Lowe, November 19, 7 p.m.); First Friday! Portrait Sip & Sketch (wine and a chance to sketch the works on view at the Lowe, December 4, 7-10 p.m.); and Family Day—All About Me! (family activities at the Lowe, December 13, 12-3 p.m.).
 
CONTEMPLATING CHARACTER is organized by Robert Flynn Johnson, San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts Curator Emeritus, with Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA, in association with Denenberg Fine Arts, West Hollywood, CA. The exhibition is open to the public.
General admission is $10.
 
Lowe Art Museum exhibitions and programs are sponsored by Beaux Arts and the general membership. Additional support is provided by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, and the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.

Lecture: Thursday, September 24, 2015 – 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Gallery
University of Miami 
1210 Stanford Drive
Coral Gables, FL 33146

The University of Miami's Art and Art History Department is pleased to present an artist talk by Elisabeth Condon.

Elisabeth Condon is a visual artist, for whom painting is a form of travel. A Los Angeles native now based in Brooklyn and Tampa, Condon combines Chinese ink painting and Abstract Expressionist influences in paintings and works on paper.

The recipient of the 2015 New York PULSE Prize, a Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant, Florida Individual Artist Grant and numerous University research grants, Condon was the first visual artist to be awarded a Confucius Institute Understanding China Fellowship in 2014. Her artist residencies include the Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai, Grand Canyon National Park, Wupatki National Monument, the Corporation of Yaddo, Fountainhead and Red Gate, Beijing.  Her work has been included in exhibitions at the National Art Museum of China, Beijing, 1285 Avenue of the Americas Art Gallery, New York, Hollywood Art & Culture Center, Hollywood, FL, Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC; Ft. Lauderdale Museum, FL, and Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, CT. 

In 2009 her paintings were featured in a survey exhibition at the Albany Museum of Art, Albany, GA, for which a catalog was published. Condon's work is held in the public collections of the US Embassy, Beijing, the Swatch Art Peace Hotel Traces Collection, Shanghai, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL, the JP Morgan/ Chase Collection, New York, and is represented by Lesley Heller Workspace and Emerson Dorsch.

This lecture will be held on Thursday, September 24th at 6:30 p.m at the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Gallery located at 1210 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables. For more information about the artist talk and the CAS Gallery contact Milly Cardoso, Director at (305) 284-3161 or email m.cardoso1@miami.edu.

Image: Elisabeth Condon, Ethereal Body, 2014, ink, acrylic and glitter on linen, 59 x 59 inches. JP Morgan Chase Art Collection