UNC Alumnus Exhibits Art at Ackland

The small show features 14 original portraits by Long, a former UNC creative writing student who received a Distinguished Alumnus Award this weekend during University Day ceremonies.

Long is best known for his large-scale frescos, which have been commissioned for both religious and municipal buildings across North Carolina.

The portraits on display at the Ackland -- a mix of oil paintings and graphite figure studies -- reveal a technical mastery of form and composition. Long served as an apprentice to Pietro Annigoni in Florence and his art reflects a concern for realism that harkens back to the times of the Italian Renaissance.

Timothy Riggs, assistant director for collections at the Ackland, pointed out Long's traditional style in a self-portrait titled "Goya's Friend."

"He is very consciously presenting himself as an artist, as a thinker," Riggs said. "This is the kind of compositional strategy that artists have been using since the 16th century, if not before."

All of Long's oil portraits share in this sense of self-consciousness. A strong focus on physical likeness is evident, but the paintings' attention to proportion and composition often sacrifice their spontaneity and intensity.

The glassy finish of the oil paint emphasizes the blank gazes of the subjects, which often fail to convey any sense of personal vitality or uniqueness -- elements central to portraiture.

Long's black-and-white figure studies make up for some of the disappointment of his oil paintings. The sharpness of graphite better complements his technical skill, framing the form of the subject but leaving enough space undeveloped to engage the imagination. These pieces have an expressive life that his oil works lack.

Also interesting is a work by Long not included in the exhibit but located through the glass doors at the back of the gallery. This large oil canvas, featuring a reclined nude and several male figures, is far more engaging in composition and theme than Long's featured portraits. Its complexity suggests his talent could be greater than what appears in the show.

The exhibit, which coincides with Long's acceptance of the Distinguished Alumnus Award, is also part of the Ackland's Carolina Collector's Series -- a project that aims to display art owned by UNC alumni. Three of the pieces on display are owned by Peace Sullivan, another former UNC student who now resides in Manhattan.

"Art collecting in North Carolina, as in much of the South, is a comparatively recent development," Riggs explained. "Increasingly, Carolina alumni have been forming important collections. We're hoping in a few years we'll have a full exhibition of collectors."

In the meantime, the Ackland staff is organizing smaller shows like that of Long to build toward this future goal.

"Capturing the Essence: Portraits by Ben Long" is at the very least a good excuse to visit the often overlooked Ackland Art Museum. The exhibit runs until Dec. 29, and like the rest of the museum, it is free to the public.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.