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Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art acknowledges it resides on the ancestral territory of the Osage, Kaw, and Otoe-Missouria, among other tribal nations forcibly moved to the region such as the Shawnee, Wyandot, Delaware, Potawatomi, Sac and Fox and Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo) nations. We recognize and support the continued vibrancy of Native communities and cultures today who continue to thrive, as well as the inherent sovereignty of tribal nations. We are compelled to serve and advocate for these communities in accordance with our public mission.

Kemper Museum acknowledges and respects the diversity of Native people connected to this land today. Many recognize the land and all beings who live within it as relatives. We acknowledge the earth we inhabit, the waters of the Blue River, the Kansas River, the Missouri River, and the plants, animals, and people supported by them. 

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Inspired by Hew Locke’s large-scale photographs from the series How Do You Want Me?, this exhibition presents portraits and self-portraits from the Kemper Museum Permanent Collection that emphasize the complexities of a dynamic dialogue between artist and subject. In Locke’s large-scale photographs, an oblique, almost imperceptible form of self-portraiture playfully addresses what is both hidden and revealed as the viewer sorts through an elaborate array of objects that adorn the body of the artist in his studio. For Locke, the elaborate settings denote tensions between Afro-Caribbean culture and European colonialism.

Jaimie Warren’s theatrically constructed self-portraits are derived from a mash-up of web-inspired imagery, the art historical canon of portraiture, and an array of pop-culture references. Reflecting the Internet’s widespread contextual confusion in Untitled (Self Portrait, Red and Flowers, Tokyo) (2007), Warren awkwardly inserts herself in a flower shop in Tokyo.

In Neeta Madahar’s Sharon with Peonies and Suky with Cherry (both 2010) from the Flora series, the artist collaborated with each sitter for several years to create these unique, elaborate tableaux. Madahar also referenced the work of early-twentieth- century photographer of high society Madame Yevonde (1893­–1975), adding another layer of art historical context. Chuck Close explores another mode of intimate knowledge between artist and sitter by using the archaic daguerreotype photographic process. He takes the tiny prints and digitally scans them, in the process revealing the extreme detail in a larger format image. Close’s Lorna 1 (1996, printed 1997) captures the connection between Close and fellow artist Lorna Simpson.

What personal, cultural, and technological influences are at play in the making and viewing of these works of art?

Whether the subject or the artist asks, “how do you want me,” a broader narrative regarding one’s perceived place in the world unfolds in the layers of meaning woven into each image.

Jaimie Warren, (American, b. 1980)
 Untitled (Self Portrait, Red and Flowers, Tokyo), 2007
 chromogenic color print
 edition of 5
 30 x 40 inches
 Collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri
 Gift of the artist and Higher Pictures, 2009.9
 © Jaimie Warren

Chuck Close, (American, b. 1940)
 Lorna I, 1996, printed 1997 
 inkjet print on kozo paper 
 38 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches 
 Collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
 Bebe and Crosby Kemper Collection, Gift of the Enid and Crosby Kemper Foundation, 1996.62
 © Chuck Close, courtesy Pace Gallery

Exhibition Preview

How Do You Want Me?

Neeta Madahar, (British, b. 1966)
 Sharon with Peonies, 2009
 from the series Flora
 chromogenic print on Kodak Ultra Endura paper
 edition 3 of 9
 40 x 30 inches
 Collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri
 Gift of Neeta Madahar and Paul Hemingway, 2014.13
 © Neeta Madahar. Photo: courtesy of Miller Yezerski Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts