Wyn Geleynse’s Community Portraits
A year ago I received a call from London’s acclaimed multi-media artist Wyn Geleynse, wondering if I might like to pose for a portrait. I said, “What’s the catch? Why me… Are you trying to make a sale?”
“Nah,” Geleynse said, “I’m doing a series of people I know from my community. And don’t worry, your portrait won’t look like you really do,” he smirked. “There’s nothing special about you.”
And since there isn’t and it was no skin off my nose to pose, I did. And now, I’m left in the complicated position of having to say something good or not about my portrait.
Community Portraits is a series of some 40 portraits of people from all walks of life that are part of Geleynse’s walk of life in the London area. The first of the portraits is now on display at Milos Craft Beer Emporium. It’s not really a show of all his portraits hanging at the same time in a gallery, in other words. His plan is to change the portraits on display every month at Milos’ until January, when the display moves to The Arts Project, which is just around the corner from Milo’s, where more of the series will hang with monthly swap-ins until the end May, 2025.
There is also a limited edition book, Community Portraits, available for purchase while copies last. In the accompanying essay Corrina Ghaznavi writes that this new body of work is a departure from the video projection work of Geleynse’s career for which he was honoured with the Governor General’s award in 2018:
“Unlike the installations and models that Geleynse created to house his projections, these need nothing but a clear frame because the story is the portrait, and the portrait is of the community that the artist has inhabited throughout his life. The community that reflects ordinary life in singular moments.”
On Wednesday September 11, Geleynse is inviting his community and public at large to attend a soft opening of Community Portraits from 5:30 pm until 7 pm, at Milos Craft Beer Emporium. That buys me a little time to come up with something meaningful to say about his portrait of me. Artist and graphic novelist Seth already said something very complimentary about it, and he knows a thing or two about painting. Maybe I can just quote him. Hmm.
One portrait victim has already spoken: “It’s an honour to be remembered through Wyn’s work,” says James Kirkpatrick, “ an artist whose humour, practice and community action I have immense respect for…and it ALMOST looks like me.”
I sat down at a table in Milo’s fine establishment with Wyn for a beer and to discuss the origins of this series of portraits, why he chose some of the people he did as his subjects, and more. It’s an enjoyable informative listen.
Vincent Cherniak has had his portrait painted only once before Geleynse’s, to his knowledge, He has painted his self-portrait but prefers to paint with words, in London ON
Community Portraits at Milos Craft beer Emporium until the end of December. The series continues at The Arts Project in London from January until the end of May, 2025.
See more of Wyn Geleynse’s work by visiting his website: Wyn Geleynse
