Almost ten years ago, I was invited to the SoHo studio of artist Roy Nachum. He had me choose colors and paint my portrait on a big piece of paper on the wall.. It basically consisted of long stripes of hair and round sunglasses. I think I chose silver and black. I was wearing gold and black and purple. He took my photo. That photo would become the hyper-realistic painting of my head that is the focus of my old author photo…
#ImageDescription – I stand to the side of and face a six-foot canvas on which is painted a hyper-realistic close-up of my head. In the painting I’m smiling and wearing purple and gold sunglasses (which sit slightly askew, and which reflect the lighting umbrellas). In the studio I’m wearing a black wrap dress, black Dr Martens, and hold Moses, my white cane, which bisects the painting from the sunglasses downward. My black sunglasses perch on my head. Photo by Alabaster Rhumb.
It took Roy years to paint my portrait as well as the other four in the series. Then he invited us (all blind) to paint over his work with our chosen color. The result is the basis of my new author photo….
#ImageDescription – I’m standing next to my portrait by Roy Nachum, graffitied by me in ultraviolet paint—strokes of hair, circles for sunglass lenses, random dots, artist signature in bottom right corner, “There Plant Eyes” painted by my hand on my forehead. I’m wearing black gloves, sheer black turtleneck, round mirror sunglasses, Moses is in my hand, and I’m smiling. Photo by Alabaster Rhumb.
It was taken last month in City Hall when the mayor and Roy held a press conference to celebrate the temporary exhibition of my graffiti head with its fellows. The paintings are hyper-realistic portraits that have been painted over by myself (in ultraviolet) and the other blind subjects…
Here are the other photos from that morning….
#ImageDescription – In City Hall a press conference with Mayor Eric Adams, Roy Nachum, myself and others posing for the several TV cameras.
#ImageDescription – The Mayor is at the podium and we’re all clapping, me with my black gloves, sheer black turtleneck, round mirror sunglasses, and Moses. You can see Romeo’s portrait in this one.
#ImageDescription – Roy at the podium and my portrait with the Mayor looking at it. I and everyone else are on the steps behind the podium.
For more on my obsession with ultraviolet and how it pertains to the cover of There Plant Eyes plus my book’s official summer cocktail check out The TPE Ultraviolet G & T!
