Processing Portraits

We have all seen hundreds of portraits in our life time, each slightly different, some so abstract they could hardly be counted as portraits. What is it that makes these portraits so different when so often they all have similar models?
Each artist has a slightly different style of painting, and some choose to use alternative medias to the classic oil or acrylic paints - it is this that is often the key to the varying nature of portraits.
Within this exhibition I am exploring several artists different takes on portraiture, revealing what it is that makes each one so distinctly unique; whether this is the media or the thought process that is behind each image, or both.
Medias used could be bizarre or simply household materials, both creating new and wonderful effects. For example ....'s desire to use coloured dust to physically represent the morality of humanity, or ...'s use of ink, tea and vodka. Collaging too can be incredibly impressive, containing large amounts of symbolic meanings alongside the portraiture.
However the design of portraiture doesn't have to be symbolic or deeply thought out as shown by Zachary Welch who paints to music. Beginning with next to no plan as to where his portraitmis going to end up, he creates images so complex and with such energy that it is equally as impressive.
Equally, portraits can be scientific as shown by ..., taking attractive women and combining their faces with x ray images to create repulsive but fascinating images.
With this exhibition, I wish to expel the yawns that one encounters when "portraits" are mentioned, moving away from the classical paintings of dukes and ladies and into the exciting experiments going on with portraiture in modern day.