A Celebration of Sight: Tracy Piper’s Vibrant Eye Portraits
What would the San Francisco art scene be without the brightly colored canvases of Tracy Piper? Often seen with her best friend Ashley Voss—owner of Voss Gallery—these two are currently launching the fourth iteration of their collaborative portrait project, SEEN: Volume 4. This ambitious exhibition features 50 new works, bringing the total number of Piper’s SEEN portraits to 200.
Piper—whose hair and makeup are often as vibrantly colored as her canvases—always seems to be up to something fascinating. So when a post crossed my Instagram feed asking for 50 new subjects for her latest show, I was intrigued. All I had to do was submit a photograph of my eye. I sent her a few. She selected the one where I looked the most angry (it was the hottest day of last summer, you were pissed about climate change to on that day too, I promise). If the eyes are the windows to the soul, Piper’s careful consideration of each subject becomes an act of trust—on both sides.
Each portrait is a vibrantly colored close-up of an eye: some wreathed in mascara-thick lashes, others peering from behind glasses. Oddly vulnerable in their technicolor containers, a bit of each subject’s personality shines through. “This project has become my way of turning rain into rainbows,” Piper writes. “It’s how I show up for others in the way I once wished someone would show up for me.” The similarities of the work are what work best to display each subject’s personality. Piper shows great care in the attention to detail.
It’s a strange experience to stare at a screen and see my own eye rendered as a work of art. And yes, I grumbled that I should have worn some makeup. However, in the end, it was fascinating to notice all the visual quirks that make up the tools that I use to see the world. We don’t think about all the work our eyes do, really.
There’s something quietly radical about dedicating an entire exhibition to the act of seeing—actually witnessing someone’s existence on their own terms. Piper, an Oakland-born painter and muralist, is no stranger to bold statements. Her work has been exhibited at SCOPE Miami, SELECT Fair, and across the U.S., but SEEN may be her most personal project yet. It also marks her fifth publication, which is currently available for pre-order.
The opening reception and book signing takes place on Friday, May 30, from 5–8 p.m. At Voss Gallery (3344 24th St., San Francisco). Piper will be in attendance to sign books and connect with visitors. Come see and be seen. It promises to be a fun show.
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