“Self and Subject” explores issues of identity and self-awareness as expressed in portraits by contemporary self-taught artists. Portraiture is among the earliest and most persistent of art forms to cross culture, time, and space. Art historians have, for centuries, tried to understand this complex genre in which purpose and meaning change through context.

Portraits, with the lure of the sitter’s gaze, engage the viewer in a dynamic relationship with both artist and subject. Although the early documentary function of painted portraiture was superseded by the introduction of photography, the art of capturing a likeness in a variety of media continues into the twenty-first century. A portrait may be intended to represent an actual person, but a physical likeness is not an absolute requirement and may, in fact, reveal more of a subject’s personality or stature than specific facial characteristics. Artists often probe beneath the surface to expose a sitter’s internal character. Sometimes a portrait functions as a mask, revealing only what the artist wishes others to see. In the process, the artist may also reveal a bit of himself or herself.

Lee Kogan, curator

Support for “Self and Subject” has been provided by Just Folk/Susan Baerwald and Marcy Carsey.

• New York Times review