Self Portraits as an Introduction
Throughout the history of art and photography self portraits have changed, concerning both role of and style of portraits. Self portraiture became more accessible in the mid 15th century due to cheaper mirrors which gave more people the opportunity to create self portraits.
It is possible that portraiture became more commonplace due to commissions from the church and other wealthy benefactors, or that self-portraiture was a way to practice techniques and observation of light, colour and tone without having to use a model. In this way self portraits were a practical and private form of experimenting.Even in the 1500's, artists such as Albrecht Durer (self-portrait, left) were highly conscious of their public image and reputation, much like the "me generation" of today.
This background means that the notion of self portraiture has been around since the "birth" of photography.
Key Artists in the History Behind "Selfies"
Frida Khalo: variety of ways to show the world, dreamlike reality
Richard Avedon: fashion, at work
Newton: provocative, sexually loaded
Garry Winnogrand: street photography, hunted
Christina Nunez: moods
Nan Goldin: New York artist, early 80's aids/HIV episdemic- fear. LGBT community, build up snapshot. Influence on Heroin chic
Richard Billingham: snapshot but reference for painting
Cindy Sherman: dressed up as diverse characters, masks
documenting self>representing self>expressing self>expression
18-30 year olds, The largest generation in history, or "Generation selfie" seems at first glance a self indulgent, narcissistic and superficial society filled with vernacular, amateur images that may seem fashionable but have no artistic or other purpose. However, it could be argued that this method of DIY photography with it's personal snapshot aesthetic (the snapshots you want, constructed and documented by you) is inspired although often poorly executed.
These instantly shareable self portraits sound ironic and throwaway but have a universal purpose of being transmitted through social media sites such as facebook and instagram and can give people a sense of self empowerment in a time where young people are so often looked down upon.
I wanted to explore body positioning and perhaps negative space which could lead to a more abstract perspective on this project. At the same time I was interested in the process of people taking these photos and the possibility of them being not all that they seem.
I printed out the second image and covered it in black and white poster paint, I then folded it in half to try and replicate the mirror image symmetry of rorschach images. When I asked what people thought it was, or if they could see and image I got responses of "fetus in the womb", "makeup from kiss", "angel", "plant (from little shop of horrors)", "face", "bow", "fish", "chair", "hands", "snoopy" and no one has said "someone pretending to take a selfie".
Mirror Image
Distorted mirrors or "hall of mirrors" are a popular fairground attraction. Instead of a normal plane mirror that reflects a perfect mirror image, distorting mirrors are curved mirrors, often using convex and concave sections to achieve distortion. This allows us to see ourselves in a different way and make fun of ourselves for looking comical or idiotic or simply different to how we "should" look.
If you type "distorted mirrors" into google images however, you get a lot of images of skinny women looking into mirrors and seeing fat people and muscly men looking at reflections of weedy boys.
"reflections in this mirror may be distorted by socially constructed ideas of beauty". Our own ideals can change the way we view ourselves.
Our modern view on the mirror is that it is a harmful and manipulating thing when in fact it simply replicates a "perfect mirror image". However, because of the harsh society that surrounds us people are almost scared of the effect looking at something real will have on them.
Social Experimentation with Mirrors
"Selfie fails" are a popular source of amusement among people of my generation as they are so eager to point out peoples mistakes (often publicly shaming them). This could be an attempt to make themselves seem more observant or intelligent by pointing out the flaws of others, such practices are apparent throughout history in cases where someone is insecure, or has a skeleton in the closet and points the finger at someone else to draw attention away from their own misdemeanours.
I posted the above photos on Facebook with the caption "selfie timee. no edits xxx" in an album entitled "ME!" in the attempt to evoke a response, gathering opinions from some of my peers, most of whom would be familiar with the many bad attempts at editing or "selfie fails" on the internet.
I hoped that people would use this knowledge and their beady, critical little eyes to swoop down, raining judgement and harsh comments about my editing ability and/or intellect. However, with a few kind comments and a lot of silence from the online world, I decided to take part in a little role play. Me playing the part of the innocent selfie taker, trying to persuade the public that I am naturally "curvy" and confident, a fellow photography student playing the part of the harsh critical youth, judging me for uploading the kind of photos that make me seem self centered and ignorant.
To do this we had to stereotype a little and it was remarkable how easy we found it to assume that the type of people that post "selfies" are less intellectual than ourselves, not knowing correct grammar or spelling (or photoshop techniques!) whilst still trying to get across the idea that "selfies" might be self- empowering.
Sadly, no one else joined the conversation (even after some subtle prompting) and so I was unable to get an objective view on the photographs and the comments. After it became apparent that we were acting, people seemed more amused and impressed with our interaction (with comments like "This is fantastic" and "This is brilliant.") than what was being stated about the photos and the consequent assumptions on my character, which in itself is an interesting fact. People like to watch drama unfold rather than be a part of it.
The Typical "Selfie"
I took a "selfie" from the internet and used photoshop to place my (stage 4) lips on top of hers. I then adjusted the colour of the lips so that they matched more with her face and the colour of her original lips. The result is (sadly) not something I would be surprised to see on a social network site, portrayed as an almost flattering image.
I manipulated these photos first with acrylic paint to give me big, red lips, eye make-up and styled hair as a comment on how people are so obsessed about how they look and how people start to care about style and fashion at such a young age nowadays. I then took a photo of myself with my arm outstretched, taking a "selfie" and edited the image so that it appeared that past-me was taking a "selfie" but with current-me's arm. The result is quite eerie but I think it works quite well. I went on to edit more realistic hair and make-up as I thought it would make the image more effective and the result is quite intriguing.
Not only is the content of "selfies" different to the content of family photos, the reasons for taking them are distinct. Family photos are a way of capturing and preserving happy memories and occasions such as birthdays, weddings, christmas etc. whereas "selfies" exist primarily to be shared immediately with peers, most often on the internet, where they can be seen, judged, appreciated and commented on.
People don't pose for "selfies" as they would for family photos. Therefore you can assume that they are designed to be aimed at an audience other than family members, such as the online world with it's own society and the judgements within that.
If these two different styles switched places, would it look odd to the eye of someone that is used to each style in it's respective place? A family photo album full of "selfies" or profile picture of a group family photo? Perhaps the latter would seem less alien as the more formal style has been around for longer and we are more used to it.
These instantly shareable self portraits sound ironic and throwaway but have a universal purpose of being transmitted through social media sites such as facebook and instagram and can give people a sense of self empowerment in a time where young people are so often looked down upon.
Manipulation
I wanted to explore body positioning and perhaps negative space which could lead to a more abstract perspective on this project. At the same time I was interested in the process of people taking these photos and the possibility of them being not all that they seem.
I wanted to abstract this further to a less recognisable shape so that people would be forced to use their own knowledge and understanding of the world to find a meaning or image. This would make each interpretation unique and really show how dependent the meaning of images are on the viewers opinions. Inspired by the rorschach test I created this:
Mirror Image
Distorted mirrors or "hall of mirrors" are a popular fairground attraction. Instead of a normal plane mirror that reflects a perfect mirror image, distorting mirrors are curved mirrors, often using convex and concave sections to achieve distortion. This allows us to see ourselves in a different way and make fun of ourselves for looking comical or idiotic or simply different to how we "should" look.If you type "distorted mirrors" into google images however, you get a lot of images of skinny women looking into mirrors and seeing fat people and muscly men looking at reflections of weedy boys.
"reflections in this mirror may be distorted by socially constructed ideas of beauty". Our own ideals can change the way we view ourselves.
Our modern view on the mirror is that it is a harmful and manipulating thing when in fact it simply replicates a "perfect mirror image". However, because of the harsh society that surrounds us people are almost scared of the effect looking at something real will have on them.
Social Experimentation with Mirrors
"Selfie fails" are a popular source of amusement among people of my generation as they are so eager to point out peoples mistakes (often publicly shaming them). This could be an attempt to make themselves seem more observant or intelligent by pointing out the flaws of others, such practices are apparent throughout history in cases where someone is insecure, or has a skeleton in the closet and points the finger at someone else to draw attention away from their own misdemeanours.
I posted the above photos on Facebook with the caption "selfie timee. no edits xxx" in an album entitled "ME!" in the attempt to evoke a response, gathering opinions from some of my peers, most of whom would be familiar with the many bad attempts at editing or "selfie fails" on the internet.
I hoped that people would use this knowledge and their beady, critical little eyes to swoop down, raining judgement and harsh comments about my editing ability and/or intellect. However, with a few kind comments and a lot of silence from the online world, I decided to take part in a little role play. Me playing the part of the innocent selfie taker, trying to persuade the public that I am naturally "curvy" and confident, a fellow photography student playing the part of the harsh critical youth, judging me for uploading the kind of photos that make me seem self centered and ignorant.
To do this we had to stereotype a little and it was remarkable how easy we found it to assume that the type of people that post "selfies" are less intellectual than ourselves, not knowing correct grammar or spelling (or photoshop techniques!) whilst still trying to get across the idea that "selfies" might be self- empowering.
Sadly, no one else joined the conversation (even after some subtle prompting) and so I was unable to get an objective view on the photographs and the comments. After it became apparent that we were acting, people seemed more amused and impressed with our interaction (with comments like "This is fantastic" and "This is brilliant.") than what was being stated about the photos and the consequent assumptions on my character, which in itself is an interesting fact. People like to watch drama unfold rather than be a part of it.
The Typical "Selfie"
Typical "selfies" often have a camera/phone reflection due to people taking them in mirrors, bad quality resolution due to camera phone quality, editing or filters used to enhance/exaggerate aspects of a person e.g. a pout may show femininity. I know I judge people who pose in photos they take of themselves and think the pout is an affectation that could easily be recreated grotesquely with the work of Cindy Sherman in mind.
These images are part of a series of self portraits by Cindy Sherman where she dresses up as characters that conform to a stereotype and the photos she takes are grotesque exaggerations of certain "types" of people. The pouting "duckface" is one of the most notorious "selfie faces".
These images are part of a series of self portraits by Cindy Sherman where she dresses up as characters that conform to a stereotype and the photos she takes are grotesque exaggerations of certain "types" of people. The pouting "duckface" is one of the most notorious "selfie faces".
Final development
People of this generation have been described as narcissistic and seem so prone to obsessing over themselves that it is easy to liken them to Narcissus from Greek mythology. In this case it is not a mirror that people gaze into, but the lens of a camera or computer screen containing the digitalised images of their own forms. I considered how it would look if I were to be seen to look through albums filled with images of myself, or had a wallet with a photo of me instead of my family or pet or friend for example.People don't pose for "selfies" as they would for family photos. Therefore you can assume that they are designed to be aimed at an audience other than family members, such as the online world with it's own society and the judgements within that.
If these two different styles switched places, would it look odd to the eye of someone that is used to each style in it's respective place? A family photo album full of "selfies" or profile picture of a group family photo? Perhaps the latter would seem less alien as the more formal style has been around for longer and we are more used to it.
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