The Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, 2006, Dave Hickey

Many of todays emerging artists are using portraiture or self-portraiture to explore complex issues of identity. At the same time, these artists are also testing the boundaries of the genre of figurative art. Others are finding success through a renewed attention to classical training in representational art. Artists who regularly create portraits on commission are also experiencing a higher level of interest in their work. The Outwin Boochever Competition 2006 brings together work that exemplifies these trends. Selected from more than 4,000 entries--from every state in the union--by a jury of experts, the fifty-one portraits included provide clear evidence of the strength of portraiture in todays world, and signal the National Portrait Gallerys increased commitment to contemporary art and todays Americans.