The Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, 2009

Every day we are inundated with faces. Images of celebrities, acquaintances, and friends—in the news, on social networking sites, on the street—are constantly changing. Portraits, on the other hand, slow us down. They capture the artist's carefully conceived approach to the subject, whether a friend, a loved one, or a self-portrait. For this book and exhibition, the second in an ongoing series, the National Portrait Gallery held an open competition, asking artists throughout the United Stat...