I began painting portraits for the current body of work and traveling exhibition called Population in 2007. My interest in going to different cities to meet and paint a cross section of the populace in communities across our country and abroad began in my hometown of Pasadena. What has continued to motivate me is the common thread of our human experiences, the joys and sorrows, the victories and failures are all contained in the face.
The Good Man Bad Man series of images began about ten years ago. I gave the first one to my son Henry. He was intrigued with the concept of the bad guy, and would often ask about “bad guys”. Who are the bad guys and who are the good guys? We are all faced with the same troubling dilemma, living with the polarities of life or death, good and evil. The Good Man Bad Man pieces exaggerate both sides of our human experience, the haunting of past and present histories, secrets and aspirations, with two forces colliding in constant strife, good often dominating, but never fully overcoming the bad guy.
See more portraits from Population on Ray Turner’s Pinterest Page or download a PDF here that provides more detail on the exhibition.
