Marc Pachter: The art of the interview

TL;DR

The National Portrait Gallery created the Living Self-Portrait Series, where interviews with American individuals became a way to capture and share their life stories for future generations.

Transcript

The National Portrait Gallery is the place dedicated to presenting great American lives, amazing people. And that's what it's about. We use portraiture as a way to deliver those lives, but that's it. And so I'm not going to talk about the painted portrait today. I'm going to talk about a program I started there, which, from my point of view, is the... Read More

Key Insights

• 👴🏼 The National Portrait Gallery's living self-portrait series aims to capture the stories and experiences of amazing people, particularly older Americans.
• 🎨 The interviewer's empathy and ability to create a safe, open space allows interviewees to reveal personal and often hidden aspects of their lives.
• 🎭 Modesty should be avoided in interviewees, as it prevents them from fully embracing and sharing their stories.
• 💡 Energy and life force, rather than intellect or age, are key factors in creating great interviews and extraordinary lives.
• 💌 Asking thoughtful, unexpected questions can prompt interviewees to open up and share meaningful moments from their lives.
• 🩺 Empathy is critical in creating connections and facilitating self-revelation in interviews, even helping stroke victims regain their ability to speak.
• 💬 The contrast between public and private selves is a significant barrier that interviewers must help interviewees overcome to achieve meaningful conversations.
• 💔 Agnes de Mille's willingness to discuss her lack of beauty, a topic others had avoided, demonstrates the power of asking deep, personal questions and fostering honesty.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the living self-portrait series at the National Portrait Gallery aim to capture the life stories of individuals?

The living self-portrait series at the National Portrait Gallery aimed to capture the life stories of individuals by conducting interviews that allowed them to reflect on their lives and share their narratives. The interviewer acted as a brush in their self-portraits, helping them convey their experiences to future generations.

Q: What were the two preconditions for being interviewed in the living self-portrait series?

The two preconditions for being interviewed in the living self-portrait series were being American and being of a certain age (in the initial program, people in their sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties were chosen). The decision to focus on older individuals was driven by the speaker's belief that elders have a unique perspective on life due to their accumulated experiences.

Q: How did the speaker ensure that the interviews in the series were different from traditional journalism or celebrity interviews?

The speaker wanted the interviews in the series to be different from traditional journalism or celebrity interviews. Instead of interrogation or focusing on the interviewer's persona, the goal was to create an empathic environment where the interviewees felt comfortable sharing and being their true selves. The interviewer aimed to be an agent of their self-revelation, allowing the interviewees to reflect on their lives in a meaningful way.

Q: What qualities did the speaker believe made a great interviewee in the context of the living self-portrait series?

According to the speaker, it was not the quality of intellect that made a great interviewee in the living self-portrait series. Rather, it was their energy and life force that created extraordinary interviews and extraordinary lives. The interviewees did not have to be young; they ranged from their sixties to their nineties. It was their energy, not their age, that made the interviews captivating and insightful.

Q: How did the speaker approach breaking through the barriers individuals have between their public and private selves during the interviews?

The speaker sought to go beyond individuals' public selves and reach their private selves during the interviews. To achieve this, they aimed to create an environment that encouraged the interviewees to break out of their own cocoon of the public self. The goal was to have them share their stories in an authentic and reflective manner, allowing for a deeper understanding of their lives and experiences.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The National Portrait Gallery started the Living Self-Portrait Series as a way to preserve the life stories of amazing individuals who may never have their portraits painted.

• The interviews in the series were conducted by the speaker, who acted as a brush in their self-portraits, allowing the interviewees to reflect on their lives and share their unique narratives.

• The success of the interviews relied on empathy, energy, and the interviewees' belief that their stories were worth sharing.