THE NETWORK: Portrait Conversations will be unveiled Tuesday at The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. Norm Brownstein, along with 88 other political luminaries, is featured in this major book and simultaneous video portrait presentation. Norm, a founding member and Chairman of the Board of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, is part of this collection that offers a glimpse into the lives, experiences and ideas currently shaping the United States. Through this unique portrayal of contemporary American leadership and innovation, artist Lincoln Schatz captured these leaders discussing legacies, accomplishments and aspirations.
"Imagine if we had a political structure where nobody listened to anybody except their advisors and their staffs. For me, it’s a great satisfaction to be proactive versus reactive. Being a lobbyist is something that is not fashionable today, but I think it is an unbelievably great aspect of democracy.” Norm Brownstein, THE NETWORK
Others featured include: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins, father of the internet Vint Cerf, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Republican strategist Karl Rove, National Cancer Institute Director Dr. Harold Varmus, US Press Secretary Jay Carney, Emmy Award-winning journalist Cokie Roberts and many more.
Along with the 223-page book, the artist created a single-screen, “generative portrait” video that constantly recombines the 89 interviews filmed with multiple cameras during the 45-minute conversations. As THE NETWORK plays, multiple images of the person appear simultaneously while the software combines the interviews by topic to transition to the next person. The book features still photos from the interviews along with exclusive personal essays from each honoree.
This Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery exhibit is ongoing.
Click here to read Norm's excerpt from the book. Hard Copies of Lincoln Schatz's THE NETWORK: Portrait Conversations are available for purchase starting December 11.