Portraiture Now: Feature Photography @ National Portrait Gallery

Cindy Sherman, The New Yorker, 5/15/2000, Martin Schoeller, Digital C-print, 2000. Collection of the artist, courtesy Hasted Hunt, New York City; © Martin Schoeller

The American story isn’t just told by famous people. That's apparent at the National Portrait Gallery, which recently opened Feature Photography, the fourth installment of Portraiture Now, the series that showcases 21st century portrait artists. A nice departure from many of the other shows that the gallery presents, which focus almost exclusively on the more well-known members of our society, Feature Photography shows the work of six artists, who each give us their take on portraiture.

There are plenty of famous faces here — Martin Schoeller’s portraits of Senators John McCain and Barack Obama are side by side on one wall, while his photos of Angelina Jolie and Jack Nicholson meet across the room. But there are also every day Americans from all across the country engaged in their daily activities, pausing briefly to pose for the camera.

But while the rest of the museum celebrates the subjects of the photographs, the real stars here are the photographers — Katy Grannan, Jocelyn Lee, Ryan McGinley, Steve Pyke, Martin Schoeller and Alec Soth. All have made names for themselves as fine art photographers, and have collectively shot for a range of publications, from the New Yorker to GQ.

Grannan’s portraits arouse a sense of loneliness in the viewer. Her subjects are set against backdrops like empty playgrounds and prisons, and her work evokes a poignancy that’s unexpected in a museum that focuses on achievements and fame.