At first glance, the works of Delvin Lugo and Kathryn Geismar are distinctly different, with the former painting with vibrant colors on canvas and the latter drawing with graphite on layers of translucent Duralar. Yet, in terms of the concepts they are exploring, the two artists have much in common, as both focus on the complex idea of self: how we are seen by others, how we view ourselves, and who we truly are.
Together, the beautifully rendered portraits by these visiting artists comprise Visible Selves, an exhibition thoughtfully curated by Beth Kantrowitz for Middlesex’s Ishibashi Gallery this spring. During a morning Assembly on April 11, the artists shared their individual journeys – their personal inspirations, dilemmas, and creative processes – with the school community, giving students and faculty a deeper understanding of and connection with their work.
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, where his parents worked as tailors, Lugo clearly recalled the moment he fell in love with art as a child, when he watched his older brother sketch a portrait. “I couldn’t believe he had created it out of thin air!” Lugo marveled. “That stuck with me.” He was soon copying drawings of cartoon characters while also pursuing his interest in fabrics and fashion, later becoming a stylist in New York City.
Ultimately, Lugo returned to his first love – painting – bringing to that medium his passion for storytelling and fashion. Through a series of works called “Early Life in Neon,” he found, “I began to reclaim my own story,” creating paintings based on family pictures from his childhood. “I felt my own art was healing me,” Lugo reflected, “and showed who I really was in a way that the old photos didn’t.” Referring to a projected image of “The Boy with the Clip-on Earring,” he noted, “This painting took on a life of its own the moment I added the earring; it opened a door for me and gave me freedom.”
Curious about LGBTQIA+ culture and community in the Dominican Republic today, Lugo began connecting with activists and artists on Instagram. These conversations led him to travel there – and resulted in the series “Chosen Family,” from which four paintings were selected for Visible Selves. Asking each contact “to meet and bring their chosen family,” he hoped to gain insight into their lives by spending a day with them and taking natural, unposed photographs. These images then inspired his colorful, caring portraits that depict “a vibrant safe space where my subjects feel at home.”
For Geismar, the foundation of her artistic skills and path can be traced to her high school life drawing teacher, Aaron Kurzen, who treated his students not as children but as respected, fellow artists. Though she had no notion at the time of what his profound, lasting influence would lead to, she now recognizes that “the impact of being seen is a cornerstone of my current work.”
Her layered portraits that are included in Visible Selves have their origin in the departure of her oldest child, Sam, who at 17 was heading to Chicago to live with friends and eventually attend art school. “It was clear that Sam was exploring their gender identity,” Geismar said. “What decisions would they make on their own? How would we stay connected from such a distance?”
The parental desire to give them space, yet keep in touch – and, importantly, see Sam on their own terms – inspired her to make portraits based on their curated images on Instagram. In placing her own self-portrait over a drawing of Sam one day, Geismar became intrigued by their overlapping likenesses, similar but still separate, “a blurring of distinct selves.” Emblematic of the many layers in every human being, these combined portraits better express “the complexity of identity and individuality,” she finds. Along with Lugo’s paintings, the works raise questions about what people see on the outside and what other selves lie hidden beneath the surface.
Engaging and thought provoking, Visible Selves will be in the Ishibashi Gallery until May 4, 2023.