Marriage Portraits
For the past six years, I have been creating contemporary “marriage portraits” inspired by fifteen-century Renaissance paintings. Traditional Italian marriage portraits are filled with symbolism yet lack a direct connection between the actual subjects. I document couples actively looking at each other, and each person plans the gesture, costume, and accessories that adorn their partner. The space between the paintings becomes activated as body parts cross over the threshold of the panel and enter the domain of the other. The gaze itself activates the intermediary space as couples look at each other. My work is less about the individual portraits, rather it documents the relationship itself and is a portrait of the marriage at this time. Everyone is at the mercy of his or her partner in terms of how they are decorated, and we view them through the lens of their lover/spouse. Each relationship is unique and the definitions of contemporary marriage are being rewritten today.
