The 14 large-scale paintings in this exhibition are monumental portraits of Israeli youths Wiley met during an extended stay there in 2010. Embedded in each composition are dense layers of organic patterns derived from Jewish ceremonial art and artifacts. Superb examples of these from the museum’s collection accompany the imposing portraits, all set against black walls, adding to the rather riveting theatrical effect of the overall installation. There is also a unique opportunity here to compare and contrast Wiley’s contemporary approach to portraiture with the luminous-and no less dynamic-portraits by Vuillard concurrently on view at the museum.
