Portraiture is much more than capturing a likeness of someone. Portraiture is a larger picture that is both a vision of our reality and a psychological reflection of what that reality is. Some of these artists tell stories, others imply stories, others depict a moment as fact. Some capture that moment with a gestural brushstroke that becomes a visual metaphor. In others, the colors are pushed into a seemingly different dimension. And some look like a strange scene from a film that was (maybe) never made.

Guffogg is an international artist. His touring retrospective recently concluded in Baku, Azerbaijan with a soon to be announced date and location in Paris, France. In 2004 Guffogg began his curatorial debut with the creation of Pharmaka, which was located in Downtown Los Angeles. Portraits was a quintessential curatorial venture for Guffogg, as he invited artists of international fame along with local, often unknown artist, all working in different styles, to exhibit side by side.

"They all add up to what I think of as a snapshot that is being driven by a need to understand and reflect about what it means to be human in the beginning of the 21st century." — Shane Guffogg, Curator