Synecdoche
A synecdoche is a figure of speech where a part stands for the whole. Byron Kim's Synecdoche is a work that contemplates this term in the context of human beings. Currently housed in the National Gallery of Art, this work is an ongoing piece that captures a small piece of a person to represent its whole.
What’s the story
Synecdoche was started by Byron Kim in 1991. This work is technically a series of portraits of individuals in Kim's life. So, although the work on the wall in the National Gallery of Art seems complete, Kim has continued to create these portraits over time. The reason why this work is technically portraits is the same reason that the work is called Synecdoche. It consists of 10 x 8in panels of plywood that are painted with the skin color of the individual "sitting" for the portrait. [figure 1]
Byron Kim, Synecdoche, 1991-present, oil and wax on plywood panels, panels: 25.4 x 20.32cm, entire piece varies in size, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
To achieve this creation, Kim mixed the paint for the individual’s skin tone either on or very close to the person's skin. This way each panel is unique to the individual and their coloring. These colors range from light pink to dark brown. If you think that this is attention to detail, the rest of Kim's techniques will blow you away. The paint that Kim used was oil paint, but when applied to the panels, he mixed the paint with wax. This gives each panel its own unique texture depending on the way that the paint was applied, making each panel even more different. When you can observe these panels up close you can see the effects of this paint application [figure 2]. There are cracks and uneven layers, others are completely smooth. Furthermore, the size of the panels, 10 x 8in, is the average size of most picture portraits. In every way, Kim makes these panels a modern interpretation of the portrait.
[figure 2] Byron Kim, details of Synecdoche, 1991-present, oil and wax on plywood panels, panels: 25.4 x 20.32cm, entire piece varies in size, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
The last time I had the privilege of seeing this work in person there were 560 panels on the wall, and it did take up the whole wall of the gallery. When you first walk into the space and see this work it looks like an abstract or minimalist piece. However, the colors are not outrageous, and there seems to be no order to the panels, discrediting those assumptions. The scale of this work of art and Kim's continued work on it shows that it started with a purpose and will continue to fulfill and grow that purpose as long as Kim continues to create these portraits.
The question then is, what is the purpose of this work of art? It presents the situation of a synecdoche in real-life. Is it ok to allow a part to stand for the whole? The trick is to split this question into two parts; an answer for the work of art and an answer for real-world applications. In the case of the work alone, seeing a color stand for an individual as a part of a bigger piece feels unifying. It is beautiful that so many people can be represented and united in one giant portrait with just a panel that captures the color of their skin. It equalizes every individual represented because we do not know their age, gender, religion, or ethnicity. However, when we look at the further application of this question is creates a much larger discussion, where the answer is clearly no. It is not ok to take a person’s skin color as a representation of who they are as a whole. Those aspects that we can forgo to appreciate the beauty of the art are not things that we ignore in everyday life. This seems to be the bigger purpose that Synecdoche holds. That there is a unity in the part of us that makes us different, but that part does not stand for our whole.
Who is the artist
Byron Kim is an American artist born in California. He went to Yale University and graduated in 1983 and continued his education in the arts at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. His works of art focus on the relationship between color and vision, and, more specifically, the discussion of racial identity. Although Synecdoche may be one of Kim's best- known works, his other pieces also deal with color and how it can be used in art. Kim is also concerned with identity in all of his pieces. In Synecdoche this theme of identity is being addressed in the part - the panel and skin color - standing for the whole. However, Kim also allows the individuals to keep their identity because he places all of the names of the individuals represented on the wall next to the panels. Kim further makes his point that the part cannot stand for the whole by adding the names of the people he painted. That way he can acknowledge the people while maintaining the idea behind the work.
Why is it important to art history?
One of the most important parts of art history is understanding that it studies the overlap of history and culture. In our current age, studying art helps us better understand the culture that we live in. Synecdoche, like many works that are being created now, captures the cultural struggle around racial identity that has become a larger discussion. This cross-section of modern art and modern culture is what will become art history. So, works like this are important to art history because they help us live in and understand our art historical moment.
How can you form your own perspective?
To form a perspective on this work of art you have to consider the question "Is it ok to allow a part to stand for the whole?" on your own terms. Although Kim gives us an answer to this question, you have to go beyond that answer and think about how you would answer this question. What is your reasoning? What experiences have brought you to this answer? There is always a bigger picture to understand, so how do you understand it?
The article used the National Gallery of Art's website as a reference for some of the information supplied. You can visit the National Gallery's page for Synecdoche here.
