Travis LeRoy Southworth

His works intrigue because of his statement; not only are they interesting in themselves with their erratic marks and the beige palette, but Southworth is a digital retoucher. He is used to removing the blemishes in photography and promoting perfection, yet his drawings are far more about celebrating and even enhancing them. A celebration of 'undesirables'?

'Detouched is a collection of abstract portraits. My professional work as a digital photo-retoucher, which involves eliminating imperfections such as blemishes, shadows, dust, and other “unsavory” elements in photographic portraits, influenced this series. The final works are created from the physical “flaws” that one uses to define oneself—wrinkles, moles, blemishes, and stray hairs—which are often removed from commercial portraits. Each face is digitally erased except for these imperfections, which now seem to float in a white void. This new configuration no longer bears any facial resemblance. Instead it suggests a nebula or celestial body, revealing connections between one’s own physical markings and those of the cosmos.

Detouched is divided into three series—Single Portraits, Composites, and Studies for an Aggregate.'

Travis LeRoy Southworth

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