A Portrait

 A Portrait

By: Gavin Mannino

04/29/2022    10:03:00 PM EST

                                    Kyle MacLachlan (2014) Antonin Kratochvil    Photo Link: (Photographer Antonin Kratochvil (etoday.ru))

    A portrait typically has its subject centered and posing in a specific way, usually looking towards the camera as the photo is being taken. The portrait taken by Antonin Kratochvil of Kyle Maclachlan, however, is not what the typical portrait looks like. The portrait is unfocused and has Maclachlan framed in medium close-up composure. How can this even be compared to a regular, run-of-the-mill portrait? Is this even a portrait?

    I would say so, regardless of how abnormal the portrait is with breaking the standards and rules of a portrait. I feel this portrait captures the viewer's attention even more and creates more interest. Around the time this portrait was taken, Kyle Maclachlan would have been preparing or already working on the 3rd season of TWIN PEAKS. The emotion this photo generates is very reminiscent of how I feel when I watch the show that Kyle Maclachlan is most famous for. I always feel out of the loop, left behind when watching the show. I feel left in the dark and made to wonder. That's how I feel when I watch Twin Peaks and look at this portrait and is exactly why I like both of them.

    Although the portrait is unorthodox, it still works. I like what Kratochvil does with his portraitures and how he captures his subjects. It seems more natural and genuine; it is like if Antonin just happened to have his camera and snap a picture at a random moment. The method is a refresher from a long-standing normality. I appreciate the creativity and the innovation that Kratochvil relies on with this photograph. To answer the question, yes, this is a portrait. Although it is not a bland, boring usual portrait, it is a portrait, nonetheless.