Vik Muniz: Portraits

"When you make an image for a gallery or a museum, you make it for everyone. When you make a portrait, you make it for a person."

Medusa in spaghetti marinara, Pollock dipped in chocolate, Mona Lisa covered in jam; at least one of these iconic photographs by the "low-tech illusionist" Vik Muniz are sure to have caught your eye. This Brazilian artist creates his artworks from incongruous materials such as food, waste, soil, leaves, and varied unusual, recycled objects. His technique consists of placing these materials in shapes mirroring iconic paintings and then immortalizing these images through photography before they decompose.

Although Muniz's work does not focus solely on portraits, they remain an important part of his work. Some are reproductions of famous portraits like the Mona Lisa, or Marilyn Monroe by Warhol. Others are made from the few personal pictures he has been collecting for a long time and make up his Album series. Many of the works are based on Muniz's own experiences, as with his Sugar Children series, for which he spoke directly with children whose parents work in the sugar industry. Whatever his source of inspiration, the Brazilian artist is particularly fond of the portrait format.

Artsper invites you to discover a selection of unusual portraits photographed by the amazing Vik Muniz!