Identity

Medium: Etching
Dimensions: 5 3/4 x 4 1/2 inches (image)
Artist details: American, 1950
Date finished: 2007
Edition: of 30

Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager):

"Mary Farrell's etchings have an amazing precision and texture that make her imagery so visceral. In Identity, Farrell uses harsh contrast to cover the figure's shoulders and neck in highlights but shroud their face in shadows. I find so much mystery in the figure - the lack of context encourages anonymity but the face seems so specific, the pose is generic but hostile or at least uninviting, a cold but honest portrait. The title further mystifies me as I wonder how well I know this person from Farrell's image, or what really makes up an identity."