Portrait as…
In my quick survey, I noticed a number of themes in self portraits. Themes around the reason to paint, not just the subject matter. I’ve noted them below.
… Practice
I suppose the simplest reason is to assist in practicing — the artist is always available as a model. For figurative artists, wow often do we turn to our own hands, or faces in mirrors, to practice proportion and tone?
… Autobiography
Rembrandt created dozens of self-portraits throughout his life. Documenting various life stages and events. Taken together, they provide a view of the artist throughout his career.
… Identity
Del Moral describes their identity as constantly changing — the way they dress, interact and present. And so in their self portraits, the artist renders an indistinct, blurry result. A portrait in the moment of change, or a representation that is uncertain of itself in the moment.
… Therapy
Frida Kahlo painted a huge number of self-portraits, and painted herself in more allegorical or surrealist compositions. Here, the artist bends away a purely documentarian view, and into therapy. Through painting, is Kahlo coming to terms or fighting with her own physical distress?
… Challenge
Hannah Wilke explored feminist themes, and challenged notions of gendered representations. She produced works that incorporated erotic themes, vaginal forms, and ‘scarred’ her nude form as she repeated poses/imagery of female celebrities1.
… Performance
This (somewhat horrifying) self portrait is of the artist, in the guise of a clown. This artist apparently only painted himself as clowns2. Some of the depictions are whimsical, some quite sweet. I get “IT” vibes from the one I chose to represent here. But they all seem to be performances of a sort, or leverage the act of performance to tell some other story.
Reflecting on my own Portraits
My self portraits begain with some chalk drawings I did during the beginning of the pandemic. They’re a bit wild. I had created them to record an expression of my feelings at that time, a theme I carried into my May 2021 self portrait, and onward into the drawings I did during my first course with the OCA.
The portraits done after May 2021, and into my first course, record my state as I struggled with major changes in my job. Corporate restructurings are never smooth, and my team and I were impacted very negatively. I can see the slow acceptance and recovery in these portraits.
Looking at the ones I did most recently for my second course with OCA, there is a more optimism showing in my expression and pose. Looking to the future, and no longer directly challenging the viewer.
Bibliography
1. The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation (s.d.) At: https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/hannah-wilke (Accessed 19/12/2022).
2. Armand Henrion (s.d.) At: https://arthistoryproject.com/artists/armand-henrion/ (Accessed 19/12/2022).