December 2017
Intermediate to advanced
208 pages
3h 39m
English
When the artist becomes the subject, he assumes control of his public image. In self-portraits, a number of strategies are possible.
• Introspective. Truths emerge through the process of observation and reflection.
• Polemic. The artist advocates for a social role or position.
• Narcissistic. The artist presents an overly self-regarding version of the subject.
• Narrative. The artist is presented in a particular environment or situation.
• Theatrical. The artist takes on guises, as in the photographs of Cindy Sherman (1954–), where the subject continually assumes new identities.
An extended series of self-portraits can form a broader autobiographical enterprise. Rembrandt (1606–1669) painted himself more than forty times and ...