Carlo Van de Roer's portraits capture a subject's aura - the energy field that surrounds all living things - using instant film and sensors that measure biofeedback. Each color in the resulting photograph corresponds to certain traits, reflecting how the subject is perceived by others. For example, orange represents creativity, green represents teaching, and violet represents a mix of knowledge and activity.
The Portrait Machine Project at Danziger Gallery in Los Angeles builds on the traditions of portrait and spirit photography while transcending the new age store aesthetic to create portraits that have been critically recognized as masterful. Van de Roer has photographed family, friends, and public figures such as Miranda July, Terence Koh, and director Taika Waititi, exploring how photography shapes our identities and perceptions of others. As our lives become increasingly defined by visual media, the Portrait Machine Project prompts us to consider the role of photography in constructing and understanding our own and others' identities.
