Dialogue

In 2006, Nona Garcia painted this diptych of monumental black and white portraits entitled, Dialogue. In concealing the facial features and expression of the subjects, these paintings subvert the traditional function of portraiture to reflect the identity, character, and perhaps the social status of an individual. Nona paints her subjects with their backs turned to us, the slight incline of their heads towards each other in private conversation the only allusion to the diptych’s title.  These painted back portraits nevertheless seek to capture the ineffable essence of her subjects, through the natural folds in their clothing, the gentle slope of their shoulders, the distinctive style of their hair. While the monumental scale of the paintings might signify a personal connection that links these individuals with the artist, the stark realism of Dialogue, 2006 underscores how deftly Nona works between, and reconciles, the two mediums of photography and painting within her own artistic practice.