Kennedy Fragmented

2017



Dye sublimation on aluminum
Through a process of capturing screenshots of John F. Kennedy’s facial expressions during the first televised US presidential debate, Hangen creates a fragmented portrait of averted gazes, a hair out of place, the American flag, a neatly placed tie, and a man whose image is still widely considered as handsome, noble, and promising. Made as part of Hangen’s studies in politicians’ microexpressions and paired with gifs of facial expressions that last less than a second, Kennedy Fragmented looks to create a collective image of Kennedy’s emotions during one public event.