Portraits from the Past

In Phillip Thomas’ new show at RJD Gallery, Currents: Threads of Black History, the artist explores faces from the past, and how those faces have moved through history.

- 

In This Space (Suit), oil on canvas, 12 x 9"

“I started working on these small portraits in groups as opposed to individual subjects. I’m thinking of them in a similar way to the structure of a family tree, as interlocking in some way,” Thomas says. “These are not necessarily specific people. Many of them are invented and contextualized in different periods. Many of the portraits could be from the 19th century based on dress, or as current as today. I’m using these figures as representatives of an idea as opposed to simply posing figures or models. In this way, I don’t really consider them as mere portraits.”

Among the grouping of portrait-like paintings are pieces like On These Shores and In This Space (Suit), both of which show Black male figures with piercing stares that are filled with warmth, but also a weariness in the eyes that suggests a more serious subtext within the paintings. Several of the paintings feature water behind the subjects, which ties nicely into the “currents” in the show title.

In Your Eyes, oil on canvas, 12 x 9"