“Every Portrait Tells A Lie” And “How John Singer Sargent Made A Scene”

“There is no standing still because time is moving forward.” (Gregory Lake) This quote captures the crux of what Debra Brehmer is trying to relay; nothing is still or permanent, everything and everyone is always changing, so make the most of every second because it will never come back. Portraiture, especially through the use of photography, is an unusual art form in which a snapshot, frozen in time, is created to last forever. The atmosphere, the time, and the emotions present in a photograph can never be exactly repeated. Portraits attempt to distill these elements. We should look back from time to time to see how we have grown and what has changed but we need to remember to move forward because “time is moving forward.”

I can personally relate to the idea of making the most of every second through my athletic experiences. My coaches drilled the idea of forgetting the past, and forgetting the future, and just giving maximum effort and attention to every moment that is now. Athletics are a prime example of the unrelenting march of time. A fraction of a second is the difference between winning and losing. After the game, from experience, I can tell you that the losing side discusses everything they could have done different in those seconds that would have changed the ultimate outcome, the losing team wishes they can relive those precious few seconds. But time just keeps moving forward.

As an athlete I have learned the importance of maximizing every second, and as I transition to college and being a student full time, many of the same principles apply. The time spent watching netflix or sleeping in before a test cannot be changed no matter how madly you wish to go back to that time and make yourself study. The concept of time management is an essential key for everyone to master so that we can limit the regrets we have with how we spent our time. I am learning to never let a second go to waste, I am learning to use every second I have to my benefit. Instead of playing 2048 on the train to and from school, I am reading textbooks. Instead of watching netflix all night, I am, albeit resentfully, trying to get to sleep on time. Instead of dazing off in class and having to study twice as much to retain the material, I am focusing on the lesson.

I would like to add that I thought that art, and the discussion of art, and the reactions to art were a waste of time, but after seeing the degree to which my reflections to these artworks allow me to open up to myself, I am beginning to truly admire art. Sarah Churchwell stated that “art is the perfect empathy,” but it is an abstract paradoxical idea to grasp. The paradox in the notion that art is tool to understand and share the feelings of another is the idea that one painting, a singular image for all, can empathize diverse feelings for every viewer.