Portraits - An Exhibition Curated by Shane Guffogg

Deborah's portraits of preteens with Autism exist in the same world as her landscapes. Deborah's refined painting techniques create a sensation of inquiry about what her subjects are thinking and feeling. She has captured a snapshot of a distilled moment, where we see into her subjects, we sense their wonderment of the world around them and their fear that the world is unpredictable. These portraits are naked in their truth, with souls laid bare. They are unsettling because of their openness and willingness to be fragile. Most of us have a built in armor that has had years to toughen up against the harsh realities of life. Somewhere along the way, we shut down to the innocence we were brought into the world with. Deborah's subjects are portraits of what has been lost, both in our quest for the American Dream and the ability to stop and be in awe of the simplest pleasures that life has to offer.