We Are Illegal

In 1987, I was commissioned to do a portrait for Rick Augusta from Northeast Ohio. He supplied a group of photographs as reference material. I chose one of him in front of a wall covered in graffiti and went to work. I let him know when the piece was finished and got no reply. Months went by with no response. So, rather than let the piece languish, I entered it in a group show that autumn at the Columbus Museum of Art, and it was selected. When I finally heard from Rick, I told him that his portrait was hanging in the museum and he’d have to wait until the show closed—or he could come to the museum for the reveal.

He enthusiastically came to Columbus and I took him to see the portrait in the show at the museum. I had titled the piece ”We Are Illegal,” and, in that spirit, we got ourselves in a bit of trouble. Rick was so taken with his portrait and seeing it in the museum for the first time that he started taking photos. Immediately, we were approached by a docent. “Photography is not allowed in this gallery,” he admonished. As I was explaining the story of the commission and the entry in the show and the reveal, Rick risked further trouble by stepping over the velvet rope to stand by his portrait. The look on the docent’s face went from horror to anger to recognition and then a slight smile. He let Rick take all the pictures he wanted.

Of course, an audience had gathered during the incident, mostly a group of school kids. After order was restored, some of the kids asked Rick if that was really him in the portrait. Yes, it was.