What is a portrait? Are they physical representations of the people they depict? Or do they convey something more, whether it’s an emotional or psychological quality? How does the medium of photography help shape portraits? And with the early forms of photography, where a subject had to sit for a length of time, what did it mean to have a portrait made of oneself?

This Halsey Talks discussion will probe these questions and more. Using specific images in Southbound and other notable works from art history, we will discuss what it means to create a portrait using photography.

Image caption: Titus Brooks Heagins, Bubbles, 2016. Durham, North Carolina. From the series The Inkwell.

Halsey Talks are an ongoing series of roundtable discussions on intriguing concepts in art. While they may take advantage of exhibitions on view at the Halsey Institute, they are open-ended in nature. As a platform for a deeper understanding and discussion of fascinating ideas in art, Halsey Talks are open to all.