Memory Goes As Far As This Morning By Rubin

Faces, generally a person’s most identifying feature and at times it is also the least important aspect about them. Without faces everything else comes into focus. Identity proceeds to be defined by one’s actions, clothing choice, their origin, etc. More often than not people are judged based off of their facial features and whether or not they are attractive. When introducing oneself or when describing another physical characteristics come into play, however, the major details include hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc. Without a face, what determines one’s identity and without a face is it even worth it to consider thinking about them? The San José Museum of Contemporary Art features Gideon Rubin’s exhibit, Memory Goes as Far as this Morning,
By providing context for the subject Rubin allows those even without experience to have an enjoyable time. Braids, 2015 is one of these pieces. Unlike the Class of 1947 piece Rubin makes use of the context the subject is placed in. The painting consists of a young light skinned woman with brown hair tied up in braids standing in a scenic environment surrounded by greenery. Unlike the other pieces, however, this portrait is from the back of the subjects head. Instead of using his iconic blurred face he places the face outside of the viewer’s sight. Without the misdirection effect of the blurred face, the focal point of the portrait is actually the subject. The explanation of this piece definitely draws on the stereotypes people have about a person who looks this way. Whether it is good or bad depends on the person, however, generally the braided hair style coupled with the brunette hair contrasting with the surrounding greenery depicts a calming and nostalgic feeling. The back view also gives somewhat of a voyeuristic yet not perverse notion. Rather than perverse it is more of a natural feeling, as if watching a friend or relative walking nearby. The background scenery is very blurred, the ground looks to be a tan colored dirt and the greenery around the subject is a mesh of trees and bushes. The color palette of the plant life and the ground give off a relaxing impression. Together, the young woman and the plant life provide an innocent and natural look. Overall the piece feels like the embodiment of