Félix de la Concha

James Wright, President of Dartmouth College
Oil on linen
Collection of the artist

Excerpt from the interview

Félix de la Concha video- and audio-taped his portrait sessions. A brief split-screen excerpt appears below, presenting the sitter as well as the ongoing work of the artist.

Transcription: "We have to start by expanding and enlarging the dreams and ambitions of people.I think that nationally, economics is a crucial factor in many individuals and families thinking that college is not accessible to them, but I think the economics may be the lesser problem, the smaller problem. I think the greater problem is just encouraging people that they can go to school and I don’t think that families and teachers and community members encourage young people enough to think about that, particularly in families and communities and schools where it’s not traditional for people to go to college, and that’s the sort of community I grew up in. I know how that works: people who are loving and supportive and want you to do well, but they don’t think that going on to college is a part of your dream, nor do they think it can be a part of your dream. I think we just have to enlarge the dream. We have to expand that and I think that’s what we all have to work on, and I do think there’s a national obligation here that we need to pick up on."

Fast-forward video of the entire portrait session

Split-screen compression of the entire two-hour portrait session into two minutes, revealing Félix de la Concha's technique.