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Hiroshi Sugimoto, Cindy Sherman, and Thomas Ruff all appear to offer standard studio portraits at first glance. They present a figure straight on, at full-length or half view. A closer look, a second thought, or knowledge of the works’ production, however, show otherwise. How could such a large photograph with such fine detail, dated 1999, be taken of the Japanese Emperor Hirohito — who ruled over fifty years ago? In fact, Sugimoto’s Emperor Hirohito is an image of a wax figure of this leader, like one would find in Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. Cindy Sherman’s Untitled, 2000, is similarly misleading. For all the sitter’s attention to her appearance, this Fifth Avenue arts patron with requisite tan, blown-out hair, evening gown, and shadowless eyes is a parody rather than a real person. In fact, this image represents the artist posing as a loving caricature of the desire, yet inability to be a complete success. This fashionably dressed woman has all of the trappings of an elite class, yet the artist reminds the viewer that this reality requires as much upkeep as any illusion. Thomas Ruff’s Portrait (R. Eisch), 1999, is a standard ID photo enlarged to heroic proportions. The clarity of such a large image encourages inspection as much as veneration. Portraits traditionally have denoted social standing through the pose of the sitter, clothing, jewelry, and miscellaneous objects. These images picture the elusiveness of identity. They subvert straightforward conclusions that are usually drawn from portraiture.
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