They’ve Got The Look

Let’s admit it: To most people, appearance is everything. The last thing we often do before leaving home to confront the workday or enjoy a hot night on the town is peek into the mirror to make sure we’re presentable. And artists are no different. They way we look has always captivated creative types, launching some of the best-known artworks in history. It’s a notion not lost on Klaudio Rodríguez, a curator at the Frost Art Museum (10975 SW 17th St., Miami) who has organized “25 Sq. Inches: The Faces of the Permanent Collection” to celebrate the enduring appeal of the human countenance in a wide gamut of expressions. “As one of the most scrutinized and depicted subjects, the human face — the most prominent features of which typically are situated within a space of approximately 25 square inches — has perpetually captivated and inspired artists and artisans,” Rodríguez says. “From ancient Egypt to the Renaissance, from photography to pop art, man’s fascination with the face is eternal.” The exhibit compiles 53 works that span the globe and centuries, featuring everything from paintings to prints, photographs, and sculpture, capturing the artists’ wide-ranging approach to the subject. “Considered collectively and presented in a variety of narrative contexts, juxtapositions, and associations,” Rodríguez notes, “certain thematic threads emerge with the intent of providing a provocative and engaging forum for the viewer to reconsider the role of the face not only in the art historical narrative, but also in a contemporary one.”
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: July 6. Continues through Aug. 24, 2014