Ad Infinitum: Self is from a series of portraits of people close to me. I adopted the conventions of 16th-century portraiture because it focuses attention on the subject's mind. By stripping away facial hair and makeup and providing sparse backdrops, my sitter's gaze and therefore their character assumes primary importance. This helps me convey my love and respect for the people in my images. Using the conventions of formal portraiture also helps to insist that my subjects are important, that their thoughts and actions are of significance not only to me but also to the community and the world.
NYSPP 2010