Marriage Portraits by Lucy Nelson
We have been searching for the a wedding gift that captures the relationship of the couple. We found it in Lucy Nelson’s Marriage Portraits. We asked Lucy to explain what got her interested in this project and where she sees it going. Read on!
Cube: How did the project start?
Lucy: I started doing this project in 2012 after visiting a show at The Met in New York which featured Italian marriage portraits. I was drawn to the diptychs and the symbolism throughout each painting and how they communicated with each other (or sometimes didn't). They were such odd and captivating images! Many of the figures were facing each other but it did not feel like they were engaging each other (you can see that with the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero della Francesca). Were they actually looking at each other when the paintings were made? Likely not. Beyond the commemoration of the marriage, what was the purpose of these images? And what would these look like with today's couples? For me, these are more about the figurative space between the two images, what links the people together. It is a portrait of the relationship rather than two separate individuals.
Cube: What do you enjoy about these portraits?
Lucy: My work differs from the original Renaissance marriage portraits in that the figures do not determine their own clothes and accessories. They get to decide what their partner is wearing and doing. I love working with a couple as they plan out their ideas, and I give them "homework": to brainstorm the location, objects, clothes, and postures/actions/body language that they feel defines their relationship. I ask them to dress each other, including hairstyles and accessories. They can keep it a secret until the day of the photoshoot, or discuss as a couple. This process has couples reflecting on their story and what settings or activities define their relationship. These paintings are not so much how they view themselves but how their partner views them and that is an incredibly intimate act in the painting. The paintings also have a timestamp; how you view each other and the nature of your relationship will evolve with time. The marriage portraits document the relationship thus far, and I would be curious to do follow up ones in 10, 20, 30 years to see what has changed (beyond the physical appearances).
Cube: Why two portraits? What about the size?
Lucy: I like the small scale because it makes it all the more intimate. The work from the show at the Met was small; in part this allowed the paintings to be easily transported. I picture young couples starting out their life together and having these smaller objects that they can bring to each new home they inhabit. The delicacy of watercolor adds to this intimacy.
Cube: Your process is very collaborative; does that present any challenges?
Lucy: The trickiest part is staging the photoshoots. I work from photos for this project, and I like to meet the couples and document their set up myself to ensure I have high res source material. Some couples have a specific time of day they want depicted, others a time of year. One couple wanted a trail outside of San Francisco, another wanted their out-of-state college campus in spring. I've had photoshoots canceled due to rain and sickness. It can take months of planning in order to get the materials I need.
Cube: What have you learned about marriage through this?
Lucy: I'm always struck by the choices people make. Sometimes the paintings are funny, sometimes they are elaborate and detailed. From an early age, that has drawn me to portraits: not so much how I view my subjects, but how they view themselves and now each other with the marriage portraits. I enjoy being part of that conversation, I enjoy witnessing the decisions people make with these prompts. It is the stuff that makes us human!
Cube: Where can folks find out more about the marriage portraits or commissioning work?
Lucy: Of course they can contact Cube (cubeartboston@gmail.com) or head to my website https://lucybeechernelson.com/ or contact me at lucy@lucybeechernelson.com.