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Portraits of the soul and genetic possibility.

Portraits? Who pays?.

For eons, the only people who could afford to have a portrait painted were the very rich and powerful,the kings and priests. Then, one day Dutch pirates began to steal Spanish gold. Because the pirate ships were subsidized by the Dutch "stock market" and everyone in Amsterdam owned stock,soon everyone in Holland was rich with gold. (Later they would steal the Americas from the Indians, themselves.) The Renaissance began because everyone in Amsterdam could pay Rembrandt or Franz Hals to paint a portrait or a picture of their family. Later, the Kodak box camera,the digital camera and finally the internet made it possible for everyone to be famous, to publish a portrait.

Why make a portrait?

Portraits tell a story of the person's identity. Originally portraits flattered and gave the sitter immortality. Hung on church and palace walls, images survived for hundreds of years. Brett Wexler began this series before digital photography. These photographs were made with a large format 4" x 5" camera. They were designed as the equivalent of a visual symphony. A symphony connects many instruments to create a single sound. Brett Wexler hoped to connect multiple aspects of photographic technique to make a single image. He conflated not only the issues of lighting, film, editing and presentation but also the issues of time and semantic possibility. Ironically, digital photography erupted during this series exerting its own influence. Originally Albumen prints, the images are now printed with ink on hand crafted Kozu or Mulberry Paper, which lasts for centuries.

Why make 3 images?

The images look at the battle between choice and genetic predisposition. The center image shows us the genetic facts-- the naked individual. The side panels explore each person's extensive possible choices. The printed frames are integral to the image, symbolic of permanence. Now we must consider the frame of the Iphone screen .

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