* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.
Tracy Kerdman is a painter who was born in Huntington, WV and is now based in New York, NY. Tracy earned a BA in Studio Art from the College of Charleston.
Tracy describes the work by saying, “I use stock photos as a reference for my paintings. The portraits are a vehicle to explore and experiment with painting, rather than the intention to recreate or portray the subject in any way. The distance and anonymity allows me to copy and paste faces and limbs in the most visually pleasing way. The general emptiness of the stock photos, when transferred into oil paint on canvas, is transformed taking on a new life. One that instantly becomes more meaningful and cultural. I am endlessly engaged in the many possible combinations and outcomes. In addition to this juxtaposition, the work is executed in a way that obscures the realms of illustration and fine arts. The creative process involves pulling from a collection of images. Often collages are made, heads are pasted on bodies, and the work begins from there.”