Ryan McCann: The New Portraits
Portraiture has long been associated with the act of preservation. From Renaissance paintings to contemporary photography, artists have used the portrait to capture a likeness, document an individual, or create a lasting record of a particular moment in time. Ryan McCann's The New Portraits challenges these conventions, shifting the focus away from physical appearance and toward something far less tangible: presence, energy, and perception.
Based in Los Angeles, McCann has spent much of his career exploring the ways in which we construct and interpret reality. Working across disciplines, he has consistently questioned accepted systems of belief and invited viewers to reconsider what they think they know. With The New Portraits, he brings this investigation into the realm of photography, developing a body of work that exists somewhere between representation and abstraction.
At first glance, the images appear familiar. Faces emerge from the surface, figures occupy the frame, and traces of personality remain visible. Yet the portraits resist easy identification. Features dissolve, forms shift, and subjects seem suspended between appearance and disappearance. The resulting works feel less like traditional portraits and more like fragments of memory, fleeting impressions that exist just beyond the reach of certainty.
What makes the series particularly compelling is its process. While many contemporary artists rely on digital manipulation to transform an image, McCann's photographs are created entirely in camera. The distortions, movement, and abstraction are not added afterward but occur during the act of making the photograph itself. By embracing unpredictability, he allows chance to become an active collaborator in the work.
As McCann explains: “I developed a process in photography that allows for elements of abstraction that I had been searching for in my work. These are all raw images captured in camera, with no digital manipulation to create the effect. The process allows for the unexpected to occur giving them a life and energy that is truthful to the moment, leaving you with the reminder that despite our individuality we are all of the same energy.”
This balance between control and spontaneity lies at the heart of the series. The camera becomes more than a recording device; it becomes a tool for discovery. Rather than seeking a perfect likeness, McCann creates space for ambiguity, allowing the image to evolve in unexpected ways. The resulting photographs possess a painterly quality, recalling brushstrokes, washes of color, and gestural abstraction while remaining firmly rooted in a photographic reality.
The series also raises broader questions about identity itself. In an era dominated by carefully curated digital personas and endless streams of images, portraiture is often expected to provide clarity. McCann moves in the opposite direction. By obscuring individual features, he encourages viewers to look beyond the specifics of a single subject and consider the shared experiences that connect us. The portraits become less about who someone is and more about what it means to be human.
The figures may remain elusive, but the emotions they evoke feel unmistakably familiar. To learn more about The New Portraits by Ryan McCann please contact info@1905contemporary.com.
