A portrait an artist makes usig himself or herself as its subject...
March 20, 2006 9:53 AM   Subscribe

Self-portrait: A portrait an artist makes using himself or herself as its subject, typically drawn or painted from a reflection in a mirror. There are many famous painted self portraits, but now that everyone has a digital camera, more and more photographic self portaits are popping up everywhere. Whether you think of it as vanity, narcissism, self-invovlment, or just art, it is hard to deny that there are a lot of interesting and well-composed shots out there. Sure, there are plenty of arm-length camera angles, but there is also work being done with black and white images, hands and feet, and, of course, eyes. Even photoshop is used sometimes. People are still speculating on what exactly all these pictures mean, but I think it is clear that from totally innocent to intensely personal to NSFW, self portraits are here to stay.
posted by nuclear_soup (14 comments total)
 
The first link I think should go here.
posted by Plutor at 9:56 AM on March 20, 2006


oops, i'm sorry
posted by nuclear_soup at 9:59 AM on March 20, 2006


And here's another interesting self-portrait Flickr group...
posted by twsf at 10:23 AM on March 20, 2006


You could have tagged that 'intensely personal' one as NSFL (not safe for lunch)
posted by nathan_teske at 10:24 AM on March 20, 2006


This creative self portrait (may be slow to load -- hundreds of comments) on Flickr by _rebekka was fun, and created a hell of a lot of buzz.

She's actually done a heck of a lot of self portraits, and she's pretty good at it.
posted by teece at 10:55 AM on March 20, 2006


What? No mention of The Mirror Project?
posted by grabbingsand at 11:59 AM on March 20, 2006


What? No mention of The Mirror Project?

Yup, the Mirror Project is in there
posted by nuclear_soup at 12:00 PM on March 20, 2006


Tramway gallery in Glasgow has a great show of/about self-portraits on at the moment: What makes you and I different.

And if we're Flickring, here is one self-portrait (NSFW) which spawned a parody.
posted by jack_mo at 12:26 PM on March 20, 2006


I always thought that the best thing about the internet was that you didn't have to know what some online jerk looked like?
posted by HTuttle at 1:02 PM on March 20, 2006


A Seattle artist (and friend), Brian Murphy, has been making thought-provoking self-portraits for years. His latest show is larger-than-life nude watercolors. I think to fully appreciate it them, they must be seen in person. Maybe NSFW (if your employer doesn't like beautiful drippy nudes).
posted by Bear at 3:42 PM on March 20, 2006


This needs to be mentioned.
posted by Mental Wimp at 4:53 PM on March 20, 2006


The most haunting and mesmerizing photgraphs that I have ever seen are those by the photographer August Sander. There are, of course, a few self portraits . But it's Sander's portraits of "others" that really grab the viewer. This photo (the top one) was even the inspiration for a book by Richard Powers. While this book is still in my "to be read" pile. I have read numerous other books of his. All are excellent. He is an outstanding writer.
posted by bim at 8:12 PM on March 20, 2006


Ha! I thought I was the only one with that book, blm. It's on my "to be read" pile, too.
posted by teece at 8:14 PM on March 20, 2006


Ha! I thought I was the only one with that book, blm. It's on my "to be read" pile, too.

You obviously have great taste in literature then! I knew it when I first saw you.... (LOL).
posted by bim at 9:10 PM on March 20, 2006


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