Comments on: Self Portraits http://artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html a multi-disciplinary dialog Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:00:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Sunil Gangadharan http://artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10664 Sunil Gangadharan Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:04:03 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10664 Rex. I think that was a fantastic and a frank answer to Richard’s frank exploration.. I think self portraits combine the fun and the serious aspects of artwork by artists,. They are fun in the sense that you can play with yourself and no-one will take umbrage as it is directed towards the self (construed as criticism or aggrandizement whichever way your wind blows) On the other hand they are serious if properly pursued: If the artist plan on capturing changes in influences, reflections and predilections over a period of time then there is no vehicle better than a self portrait. I plan to do one every year so that my wife and me can laugh or cry and reflect when we are old and I can draw no more… Rex. I think that was a fantastic and a frank answer to Richard’s frank exploration..
I think self portraits combine the fun and the serious aspects of artwork by artists,. They are fun in the sense that you can play with yourself and no-one will take umbrage as it is directed towards the self (construed as criticism or aggrandizement whichever way your wind blows) On the other hand they are serious if properly pursued: If the artist plan on capturing changes in influences, reflections and predilections over a period of time then there is no vehicle better than a self portrait. I plan to do one every year so that my wife and me can laugh or cry and reflect when we are old and I can draw no more…

]]> By: June http://artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10614 June Wed, 04 Apr 2007 05:00:12 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10614 I do self-portraits to try to get a fix on myself. At the risk of sounding schizophrenic (or aged), the inner me and the outer me aren't quite in sync. In my self-portraits I'm hoping to catch something of the inner me while not absolutely ignoring the outer me. It's a great challenge. Rembrandt is the one for me, in part because he did it throughout his life, and he captures the changes. I do self-portraits to try to get a fix on myself.

At the risk of sounding schizophrenic (or aged), the inner me and the outer me aren’t quite in sync. In my self-portraits I’m hoping to catch something of the inner me while not absolutely ignoring the outer me. It’s a great challenge.

Rembrandt is the one for me, in part because he did it throughout his life, and he captures the changes.

]]> By: Rex http://artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10556 Rex Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:20:39 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10556 The virtues of self portraits? Let me count the ways. First, you will observe that portraitists tend to make more. It is our way of experimenting; hence, they have personal value and are purposely non-commercial. Self portraits tend to look forward to new ways of portraying the figure rather than stick to the tested conventions. If you're working for money, it's a tremendous relief to disdain that upon regular and frequent occasions. Second, following the first, they are a way of saying, "Fuck you." This makes you uncomfortable? Good. Third, if you're pretty, they are advertising. This is contrary to one and two, but getting sex is a motivation, and from my experience, self portraits work for that. Fourth, they are a way of dealing with suffering. They help one reconcile oneself to traumas and aging. I was deeply and profoundly inspired by Rembrandt's capacity for self honesty in this regard. I consider his self portraits generally superior to his other work. Fifth, self portraits are fun and need no further excuse. Q.E.D. And thanks Richard, for being the one to finally draw me out of one of my ever renascent recluse periods. :) The virtues of self portraits? Let me count the ways.

First, you will observe that portraitists tend to make more. It is our way of experimenting; hence, they have personal value and are purposely non-commercial. Self portraits tend to look forward to new ways of portraying the figure rather than stick to the tested conventions. If you’re working for money, it’s a tremendous relief to disdain that upon regular and frequent occasions.

Second, following the first, they are a way of saying, “Fuck you.”

This makes you uncomfortable?

Good.

Third, if you’re pretty, they are advertising. This is contrary to one and two, but getting sex is a motivation, and from my experience, self portraits work for that.

Fourth, they are a way of dealing with suffering. They help one reconcile oneself to traumas and aging. I was deeply and profoundly inspired by Rembrandt’s capacity for self honesty in this regard. I consider his self portraits generally superior to his other work.

Fifth, self portraits are fun and need no further excuse. Q.E.D.

And thanks Richard, for being the one to finally draw me out of one of my ever renascent recluse periods. :)

]]> By: Leslie Holt http://artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10355 Leslie Holt Mon, 02 Apr 2007 04:21:21 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10355 I have not done one in years, but Self portraits were a great way for me to learn how to paint people, have a readily available and cheap model, and find out surprising things about myself. Surprising because I would almost always get a diferent outcome than I had expected. An expression, a color combination, something always took me by surprise. In high school and early college they were a great way to express myself very directly as well. I think self protraits can be excruciatingly intimate and revealing. I love them! Van Gogh's come to mind, as do Durer's and Kahlo's as favorites. And recently I have been looking at Vince Desiderio whose self portraits and those of his son are quite stunning. http://www.marlboroughgallery.com/artists/desiderio/03.html I have not done one in years, but Self portraits were a great way for me to learn how to paint people, have a readily available and cheap model, and find out surprising things about myself. Surprising because I would almost always get a diferent outcome than I had expected. An expression, a color combination, something always took me by surprise. In high school and early college they were a great way to express myself very directly as well.

I think self protraits can be excruciatingly intimate and revealing. I love them! Van Gogh’s come to mind, as do Durer’s and Kahlo’s as favorites. And recently I have been looking at Vince Desiderio whose self portraits and those of his son are quite stunning.
http://www.marlboroughgallery.com/artists/desiderio/03.html

]]> By: Birgit Zipser http://artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10306 Birgit Zipser Sun, 01 Apr 2007 19:51:58 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10306 Last Sunday, I bought a sketch book. So far I have only drawn my own faces. Why my own face? It is the most readily available.It is fun drawing it expressing different moods. Last week, I copied Egon Schiele's self-portraits from the web. One of them now reminds me of you photographers getting yourself into the picture (Schiele drawing nude before mirror). I cannot show it here because you might again jump to the false conclusion that I am flirting with you. Isn't abstract art great? It is so non-controversial. Last Sunday, I bought a sketch book. So far I have only drawn my own faces. Why my own face? It is the most readily available.It is fun drawing it expressing different moods.

Last week, I copied Egon Schiele’s self-portraits from the web. One of them now reminds me of you photographers getting yourself into the picture (Schiele drawing nude before mirror). I cannot show it here because you might again jump to the false
conclusion that I am flirting with you.

Isn’t abstract art great? It is so non-controversial.

]]> By: D. http://artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10287 D. Sun, 01 Apr 2007 15:04:32 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10287 CONDOMS. CONDOMS.

]]> By: Steve Durbin http://artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10281 Steve Durbin Sun, 01 Apr 2007 14:03:07 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/04/self-portraits.html#comment-10281 Yes, it's exactly that struggle that makes the self-portrait most interesting. Which makes it what I consider art. The photograph might or might not be, by my personal definition. The process for the photographer is certainly different, though it could involve as much struggle in setting up the shot, processing the result, and selecting one from many captures. If one decides in advance to let the camera/computer/printer do the processing automatically and to use the first shot made, it removes most -- not all -- of the room for personal expression. Yes, it’s exactly that struggle that makes the self-portrait most interesting. Which makes it what I consider art. The photograph might or might not be, by my personal definition. The process for the photographer is certainly different, though it could involve as much struggle in setting up the shot, processing the result, and selecting one from many captures. If one decides in advance to let the camera/computer/printer do the processing automatically and to use the first shot made, it removes most — not all — of the room for personal expression.

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