Presence, Absence, and Connection in the American South

Rineke Dijkstra, Hilton Head Island, SC, USA, June, 1992, 1992. Chromogenic print: 9 ¼ x 7 ¼ inches. Collection of the Do Good Fund, Inc., 2015-058. © Rineke Dijkstra

What does human connection look like? The Vero Beach Museum of Art attempts to answer this question through its new exhibit, Double Portraits, opening this Saturday, October 25 — exploring the theme through the ever-evolving story of the American South.

Organized into four distinct sections, the exhibition examines the diverse ways artists depict connection, presence, and absence when two people share a frame.

It starts with traditional portraiture: carefully composed images where both subjects are centrally framed and clearly visible. From there, it moves into "snapshot" moments — casual and spontaneous — where intimacy emerges through unguarded details.

The third section deepens this, showing how two people in a frame naturally suggest a story, and how we instinctively look for meaning in their interaction.

The final section abandons convention, showcasing figures reflected in mirrors, nested within other photographs, or partially hidden. These works find presence through suggestion rather than direct depiction.

Together, they offer a layered portrait of human relationships across the American South and beyond — capturing not just who people are, but how they exist together.

Double Portraits | Holmes Gallery

October 25, 2025–January 11, 2026

Vero Beach Museum of Art

Carolyn Drake, Untitled from the “Knit Club” series, 2019. Archival pigment print, 16 x 20 inches. The Do Good Fund, Inc., 2019-012.

Eva Verbeeck, Jasmine and Carmen, age 16, 2019. Chromogenic print, 19 x 24 inches. The Do Good Fund, Inc., 2023-015.

Emma Creighton Hopson, Summer Afternoon, 2020. Archival pigment print, 28 x 33 inches. The Do Good Fund, Inc., 2022-031.