Swagger Portraits
A few weeks ago I introduced a new theme, “Swagger Portraits”. I heard about this concept on Anti-Racist Art Educators, loved the idea, and decided to try it.
The swagger portrait genre is historically very British colonial and focuses on the showcasing of obvious wealth and power. However, these concepts have been co-opted by artists like Kehinde Wiley, who recreates paintings swagger style paintings selected by his models but replaces the figures with the Black men and women he paints. Additionally, the idea of swagger runs across many cultures and there are as many related images as there are wealthy rulers to commission them.
For this project, I asked my students to focus on interpreting the idea of the swagger portrait in any media. I introduced the concept with this short video, then asked students to think about these ideas to arrive at a personal interpretation:
What would a swagger portrait of you look like? What about someone you know, a celebrity, or someone from history?
How could you show swagger visually? What materials and processes might work best?
What does the concept of swagger look like in our culture today?
Swagger portraits typically focus on symbols of wealth and power. What are some alternative values that could be depicted that might be more meaningful to you?
Students took many different approaches as they interpreted this theme and created work.
