The Network: Portrait Conversations

Synopsis: As the nation grapples with some of the greatest developments and challenges to date, The Network presents a dynamic portrait of the people who help shape America's current technology, policy, and education. Drawing inspiration from Richard Avedon's 1976 photographic portfolio, The Family, The Network consists of generative video portraits of 100 entrepreneurs, industrialists, politicians, scientists, scholars, inventors, and other influential figures, some of whom may be household names and others who operate behind the scenes, who play pivotal roles shaping the history and daily workings of America. The project builds on aspects of portraitist Lincoln Schatz's earlier project, Esquire's Portrait of the 21st Century (National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution), taking a closer look at how the touchstones of America are created and preserved.