Stan Squirewell's Mixed-Media Collages Imbue Anonymous Historical Photos with Panache

"Nothing sparks the imagination quite like coming across a trove of old photographs. We look for writing on the reverse and scan the anonymous faces to read a range of expressions. Where exactly they were at that moment, what brought them together that day, and who took the picture? For Stan Squirewell, the allure of historical portraits is a central tenet of his multimedia practice."

"In large-scale, mixed-media collages, the artist begins with black-and-white photographs, typically taken a century ago or longer. He especially emphasizes portraits of Black individuals, whether gathered together as a group or posing independently. Some of these compositions start with a formal portrait in a studio, while others have more of a snapshot quality. On their clothing, Squirewell collages fabric patterns, paint, and glitter, inviting the past into the present."

"Squirewell sources photographs from the Smithsonian Institution's anonymous photo collections and from family and friends. Through the intimate medium of the portrait, anonymous individuals emerge from the archives and are imbued with vivacious textile patterns, and recognizable luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci suggest elevated style and status. Scale also plays a role, too, as Squirewell prints the photos quite large, blurring features in the process yet representing the figures closer to life-size so that their presence is palpable."

Stan Squirewell repurposes black-and-white photographs, often over a century old, into large-scale mixed-media collages. He focuses on portraits of Black individuals, both group and solitary images, combining fabric patterns, paint, and glitter onto clothing to bridge past and present. The solo exhibition Robitussin, Hotcombs & Grease at Plattsburgh State Art Museum centers Black identity and daily experience, referencing household items as hallmarks of domestic comfort and reclaiming identity from historical anonymity. Squirewell sources images from Smithsonian anonymous archives and personal networks. He enlarges prints to near life-size, blurring features while intensifying presence through scale and luxury-brand motifs.

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