Self-Portraits
Representing oneself
Self-Portraits• A portrait is an image of
a person
• A self-portrait is an image of oneself created by oneself
Self-Portraits
Why do artists create self-portraits?
Self-Portrait as a Signature• Leaving your mark as an
artist in the image
• Image isn’t necessarily about you, the artist
Self-Portrait as a Projection of Self
• The image is intended to show importance or status of self
• Not concerned with exploring the psyche
Self-Portrait as Self Study• Using the self-portrait
to examine one’s own– Image– Emotions– Ideas– Artistic techniques
Self-Portrait as Self Study
Self-Portrait as Fantasy
• Using symbols, people, etc. to further express status, emotions, and aspects of self
Self-Portrait as Fantasy
Self-Portrait as Narrative• Less concern with
the realistic likeness of oneself
• More concerned with expressing the inner self, often through a story
Self-Portrait as Metaphor• No realistic likeness of
oneself
• Concerned instead with expressing the inner self, often through the way the artwork is created
• Raises the question: Can any work be considered a self-portrait?
Self-Portraits• Reference:– http://userpages.umbc.edu/~ivy/selfportrait/
intro.html
Self-Portraits• Themes: Who am I? (just some ideas)– What defines me?– Where do I come from?– What power do I have?– What do I care about?– Where can I go?
Who are YOU?
• Choose a theme for your self-portrait that
answer the question “Who am I?”
• Write a Statement of Intent that includes:
• Your theme• The category of self-
portrait that it is (from presentation)• What images it will
include• A sketch
Jerry Uselmann
Jerry Uselmann
Jerry Uselmann
Maggie Taylor
Maggie Taylor
Maggie Taylor
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman