Joseph Shannon’s multi-dimensional portraits go beyond physical reality.
By: Susan Van Dongen
Picasso’s painted wives and lovers could look serene, neurotic or grotesque, depending on what stage their relationship was in when the work was done. At least that’s what artist Joseph Shannon believes. He imagines Picasso’s more serene portraits of his women were done in the early, love-filled days, whereas the demonic, flounder-eyed canvases came later when they were sleeping in separate beds, houses or countries.
"They vary from year to year, depending on how the relationship was going," Mr. Shannon says.
After studying portraits by historic artists, Mr. Shannon pondered how the painters felt about their subjects.
"I was thinking of El Greco’s portrait of the Cardinal of Toledo, the Grand Inquisitor," he says. "He has this strange expression on his face, almost a sneer. His left hand is clenched like he’s strangling the arm of the chair. The lighting is harsh, his gown is angular. It’s obvious that El Greco didn’t feel kindly toward this man who was responsible for torture and death.
"Often the feelings of the artist come through in a portrait," he continues. "Fortunately, I feel good about everybody I’ve painted. My mother is Austrian, so our family has always been concerned with politeness it’s automatic for me. I don’t want to offend anyone, which runs counter to today’s styles. For example, Lucien Freud and Chuck Close both have a real in-your-face, warts-and-all approach. But I can’t do that."
A collection of Mr. Shannon’s multi-dimensional portraits will be at the J.B. Kline and Son Gallery in Lambertville in the exhibit Portraits with a Purpose, on view May 6 to 28. There will be an opening reception May 6.
The artist, who lives in Ringoes, wanted to show the story behind each of his subjects’ faces, noting that talents like El Greco, Van Gogh and Rembrandt show more than a rendering of the human visage.
"They portray the character and experience of their subjects," Mr. Shannon says. "In my own way, I try to go beyond physical reality to suggest the complexity of the human spirit. But I know I can’t tell the whole story. You can never know everything because the other person has a secret, subconscious life. But I try to find one thing, some device that will pinpoint what I think about the person.
Mr. Shannon’s "Portrait of Cynthia" shows an attractive woman, but with subtle tension in her face, which is surrounded by the numbers of a clock. The artist explains that she is "the archetypal super-woman," who manages an exceptionally busy life. She has a job as a top executive at a large company, is mother to two children and volunteers in her community.
"So I put the numbers of the clock around her," Mr. Shannon says.
Not all of Mr. Shannon’s paintings probe the subconscious of his subjects. "Portrait of Helene" is an almost idealized rendering of a young woman with impossibly blue eyes.
"Helene is just one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever known," Mr. Shannon says. "I didn’t tell her story I was just struck by her beauty. I don’t presume that I know any subject completely. In fact, even when you live with someone, you don’t know them completely. That’s why my portraits are slightly misty, with a reticent look to them."
Retired from faculty positions at Columbia University, the State University of New York and The College of New Jersey, Mr. Shannon’s 2002 exhibit at Lambertville’s Canal Studio included a group of paintings illustrating gods and goddesses from Eastern religions and mythologies, some beautiful, some downright repulsive.
"I’m still doing them, in fact making them more colorful and extreme," Mr. Shannon says. "You can do that with archaic religions because the images weren’t all that fixed. And they’re open to more interpretation than with an individual human being. With my portraits of people, I don’t display the brushstrokes as much, they’re more muted and blended. One of my subjects had seen the paintings of the gods and said, ‘OK, you can do the portrait, but don’t make me look like one of those.’"
He says looking through art history, non-commissioned portraits seem to have been stronger and more outstanding than commissioned works. Mr. Shannon reflects on John Singer Sargent’s infamous "Madame X," which caused a scandal in Parisian society.
"For his commissioned pieces, Sargent always flattered his subjects," Mr. Shannon says. But for Madame Gautreau, he was struck by her offbeat beauty a small chin, large nose and ample bosom. She moved in the high society of Paris and was well known as a libertine, that was part of her story. So when he painted her, he had one strap of her gown falling down, and she was backed up against a table. He colored her skin in this violet tone as though the blood was right at the surface. She was shocked and asked him to alter the painting.
"For a number of years after that," Mr. Shannon says, "Sargent didn’t have any commissions. For a portraitist, you walk a fine line between the ego of the sitter and your own ego as a creative artist. Painting a portrait is like doing an interview. You’re trying to convey a person, but also doing an interpretation."
Portraits with a Purpose by Joseph Shannon is on view at the J.B. Kline and Son Gallery, 25 Bridge St., Lambertville, May 6-28. Opening reception: May 6, 3-5 p.m. Gallery hours: Tues.-Sun noon-5 p.m. and by appointment. For information, call (609) 397-7026.