Why do artists create them? Why are viewers interested in them? Is it exhibitionism on one side and voyeurism on the other? For reasons I can’t clearly explain I’ve never been comfortable with self portraits by any artist. So that’s what you look like or want me to see about you? Fine. Thanks. Now go away. I would love to hear from others how they feel about self portraits, their own and those by other artists, any other artist. At the risk of revealing too much about myself and just how fucked up I am, I’m simply going to express–in a kind of stream of conciousness way–how my own self portraits make me feel. Uncomfortable (obviously). Silly. Naked. Exposed. Self-indulgent. Egotistical. Awkward. Embarrassed. Validated (like a parking ticket). On the record. That’s all I have to say on this subject. Short, sweet and revealing.
Richard,
That is the first time I can recall reading such a refreshingly honest apprasial of self portrait. What you say about your reaction to your own self portraits is not a bad summary of how self portraits make other artists look to me, some of the time, but not all of the time.
I like David’s self portrait in particular because he seems to turn the genre on it’s head. Another self-portrait I like very much but have not seen in years is Leslie Holt’s self portrait when she was 17 or 18 years old.
Richard,
My only self-protraits are like yours: shadows or reflections noticed while photographing other things, or maybe not noticed until the picture is seen later.
But precisely because I have some of the same reactions you do, I admire those artists who do make and show self-portraits. In a sense, it is (or can be) more honest than a portrait of someone else, because you know (to the degree one does) the mind of the subject, and are not expressing just some ill-informed projection. Paradoxically, those self-portraits that are deceptive, intentionally or not, are the most revealing.
Angela’s painting are also technically self portraits, but I think that they don’t fit into the pure self-portrait category. These paintings don’t have the strained, what-do-I-look-like? quality characteristic of painted self portraits. Instead she inserts herself into and transforms herself within her own narrative. Here is an interesting example.
Steve,
Painting a self portrait is of course a totally different activity than a photographic self portrait. The artist working on a painting from life faces a huge challenge in simply obtaining a likeness. The painter struggles to find their likeness — what do I look like? The photographer can react to the product of the press of a button — oh, that’s what I look like! What I have always found so odd about photographic portraits, self portraits and otherwise, is how different each individual picture can make someone look.
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.
CONDOMS.
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.
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
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. :)
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.
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…
I loved the self-protraits. Its amazing what you can do with the protrait. I am in a Humanities class we have to create a self-protrait. Protrait has to be in the present form. I live out in the country. Do you have any suggesetions. Thanks
Sharon,
If you like Richard’s technique with reflections, how about adapting it to a window where you are? Your choice of looking in or out, and of what’s visible through and reflecting from the window/mirror, could say a lot about you and your life.
Sharon: I see many options for someone who lives in the country. Overcome your fear of dirt and photograph snow angels of yourself in mud or grass. Consider relections of yourself in water (ponds, creeks, puddles.) Create a composition of objects that very much speak to who you are. A self-portrait can express or relect who you are without it being an actual photograph of your physical body or face. It can expressive, emotional or representative.
Here’s a link to more of my own self-portraits. Hopefully, you’ll find them helpful.
http://rjr10036.typepad.com/manhattandetails/self_portraits/
Sharon,
Here is a self-portrait in my kitchen.
http://artandperception.com/2009/02/art-anodyne.html
This is a test:
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