1708 Gallery is pleased to present Heads or Tails: Portraits of American Presidents, inspired by the Barack and Michelle Obama portraits, by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald respectively. 

Since the debut of the Obama portraits, they have faced the scrutiny of art critics, political pundits, pop culture aficionados and the social media masses. The surrounding dialog from people of all walks of life was unexpected and compelling; bringing a renewed interest to the subject of portraiture, its meaning, purpose, and outcome.

The artists in Heads or Tails: Portraits of American Presidents were invited to create a portrait inspired by any American president. Portraiture often captures more than the subject of the portrait alone. It can encompass the hopes, dreams and folly of the era. The rhetoric of portraiture becomes a secondary theme when our constitutional rights are thwarted by fake news and current events influence the studio practice of every artist and citizen today. Perhaps this exhibition can be considered a portrait of America.