The Outwin 2016 People's Choice Winner: Adrián Román

Out of over 2,500 entries in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, 43 artists have their work shown in the exhibition “The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today.” The People's Choice Competition asked visitors to vote for their favorite work in the collection. With more votes than ever, Adrián Román was voted the winner. Read more about his work and process below.

What about the sitter inspired you?

When I decided to pursue the idea of creating a second Caja De Memoria Viva installation, I wanted it to reflect the life of a real living person and not a fictional character. Constancia was the first to come to mind because of her matriarchal presence she commands over her family. She inspired me to explore the history of my own family since none of my sitters/collaborators prior to Constancia had been family members. Her Black Puerto Rican cultural pride was effortlessly present, which made our collaboration on this project magical. Lastly, I believe what inspired me the most was her trust in me knowing I would render her and her story with dignity and pride. I put all of my soul into creating this installation to live up to those expectations.

How did your work develop from idea to execution?

I first came up with this concept to simply answer questions viewers had regarding my previous portrait works, “I wonder what was going on in their lives?” Or “I wonder what this person was thinking”. I wanted to literally allow viewers to enter the head/mind of the person in the portrait and explore their memories. The first Caja De Memoria was a complete fictional character I named Antonio Vicente Hernandez, which started with a mini cardboard prototype before creating the larger 4ft version. I used items from my personal collection of vintage newspapers, photos, and letters from Puerto Rico to fill the inside and a video from YouTube I edited to only use the audio. Because of its great success exhibiting, I wanted to continue that concept momentum and create a second version that was based on the life of someone currently living. Constancia and I scheduled a photoshoot and video interview at her home in Queens NY, which began the process of the second Caja De Memoria Viva. I also seized the opportunity to re-engineer the structure to make installing and de-installing a simpler process.

What relationship do the materials have to the meaning?

The materials are never new, they are worn, used, rusted, cracked, and deteriorating. They represent a period in history, a life lived with function and purpose, and the fact they are still around is because someone found value in them. The materials embody a spirit of their own. The relationship of the materials to the meaning of this installation can simply be found in the title, "Living Memory Box". I view the materials as not once having a life or function, but an evolution of its transcendence and the spirit that has been formed. Most of the materials I used for the interior were gathered after the interview with Constancia to symbolize the personal and cultural memories she shared with me. Constancia donated personal photos of her youth and her family to add as well. I've been collecting vintage and found objects for many years, and most items in this installation have come from my own personal collection. Some items that were used for a specific memory, I had to search for via picking antique shops, flea markets, and online shopping. For example the old tattered baby shoes were purchased in a flea market that symbolize the memory of Constancia's little sister that passed away when she was a child.

There's a harmonious language between the items Constancia gave me and the items from my personal collection that provides an intimate view into Constancia's life.

How does the piece fit within your larger body of work?

This piece fits within my larger body of work with the drawing on wood technique and use of found objects. This installation has also been my most technically diverse piece by exploring various skill sets I've learned from previous works. I've explored scale (my largest drawing at the time), fragrance, audio and video manipulation, and construction engineering to help develop a full immersive experience. Caja De Memoria Viva II: Constancia Clemente Colon sort of acts as the elder of all the other works, by having a piece of something from them all.

You can see Roman’s work in “The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today,” up now through Jan. 8, 2017.