The Forgotten Faces

Photos by Valerie Graham

Kevin O' Grady's exhibit, The Forgotten Faces, was one of my favorite art shows on campus so far. He had paintings and sketches as well as a self portrait covering every surface except for the ceiling and floor.


He stated that, "My Master of Fine Art's thesis exhibition is a collection of mixed media watercolor painting that stem from my interest in the human expression."





Counter to the traditional notions of portraiture, the body of work in Kevin's pictures exemplifies anonymity and ambiguous states of feeling. The faces are painted rather large, which portrays a commanding presence over the viewer. The sources for the Forgotten Faces were inspired by a variety of print media, and Kevin's preliminary creative processes to just be creative and make up his own characters and personas.


"I used a very powerful calligraphic line in each piece as it was essential to the character in each one of my paintings" said O'Grady.








Kevin said, "I just wanted each face to have the potential to express an array of feelings. Their Expressions range froem self-assured, restrained, disbelieving, numb, aware, stunned, amused, quiet and disturbed. I hope that viewers take the time to notice subtle facial expressions and realize that this is essential to an engaging understandance of the exhibit."

Self-Portrait by Kevin O'Grady
Photo by Valerie Graham