Clegg & Guttmann

Les modalités du portrait

Since 1980, Clegg & Guttmann have been collaborating on a photographic project that challenges the relationship between aesthetic power and “real” power. They have chosen as their primary subject the “official” portrait—a tradition dating back to the Renaissance in Northern Europe that persists today in the form of photographs featured in the annual reports published by major corporations. Their individual and group portraits challenge the conventions of representation in classical painting and the symbols associated with power and hierarchy in contemporary society.

Clegg & Guttmann examine the seats and forms of power in post-industrial society by revealing, with a critical political intent, the constructs and artifices of this social class and by prompting reflection on the codes of representation of this power. By depicting the leading figures of modern society—whether they be prominent bourgeois families, global finance executives, insider circles, cartels, politicians, or any other archetypes that fuel our fantasies and fictions of power—they highlight the symbolism of the power of money and the assertion of masculine power. While some of their works were commissioned by groups of people who wanted to be “represented” through an image of themselves, Clegg & Guttmann initially turned to actors who employ these preestablished codes. They adopt, in an exaggerated and conventional manner, the postures, gazes, and dress codes of those who use this vocabulary in their daily lives, reinforced by the presence of objects and accessories that symbolize wealth. This desire to be represented and to possess this representation of oneself holds universal significance.
However, the clients have the option to reject the final photograph. Some subjects do not recognize themselves in the fictional aspect of the composition and reject the image presented to them. If they like the photograph, the clients have priority in purchasing it. Otherwise, the photograph will be reused in a second—or even a third—version of the shoot. Clegg & Guttmann reappropriate the image, cut it up, and reassemble it to recreate another portrait. It is not uncommon to notice traces of editing in Clegg & Guttmann’s photographs, revealing the assembly of different portraits. This reinforces their intention to portray an artificial, constructed society and to establish an internal relationship that does not exist in reality.

What interests Clegg & Guttmann is the interchangeability of each person’s roles—which is akin to disguise—rather than individual identities. The formal quality of the poses reinforces the fiction and lends a pronounced theatrical aspect. The portrait loses its realistic value and eliminates all naturalness. The subject’s psychology becomes a matter of class behavior.

The arrangement of the subjects within the visual composition of the works reflects the common expressions and symbols of the moral authority associated with these figures. The subjects’ gazes convey the sense of superiority that power and wealth bestow, set against a somber and elegant backdrop reminiscent of a Dutch portrait. Dressed in tailored suits, the subjects display the refined mannerisms of the privileged classes.