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The self-portrait in contemporary photography
Susan Bright
Thames + Hudson
978-0-500-54389-4
INTRODUCTION
'There is, in my opinion, only one conclusion that may be drawn from the idea that the self is not given to us" we must create ourselves as works of art.' Michel Foucault
locating the 'self'
always impossible image because the artist can never see what he is representing
self understood in a humanist sense
can be so performed and constructed that nothing real remains
'the self portrait has increasingly become very much a part of our vernacular and all the more widespread with the growth of photosharing websites such as MySpace and Facebook.'
arm out stretched or the typical mirror shot
question this new strain of vernacular photography
Andy Warhol posing in the photo booth, performance
representing famous people, surrounding yourself with celebrities so it may rub off on you
can be argued all photos are self-portraits as the photographer projects himself into the image.
Can be made of any creative form, PAINTING
in this book must explore the concept of identity
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Often acknowledged that autobiographies can differ from a faithful account of the facts
'The all-too-human desire to conceal events or inflate stories is understandable'
camera, an insightful tool for self-analysis
Not same leniency as the pen, photography seen as an agent of truth
so, self-portraits that reveal intimate life or use confessional modes are often held to particularly high standards in terms of our expectations of authenticity
may be highly constructed + edited - nan goldin, larry clark
but holds a special place in photography as evidence
internet a resonant confession box for emotion
virtual space has an intimacy about it
common for photographers to record some personal tragedy or difficult time
Hannah Villiger + Helmut Newton - documented their battle with cancer ( TRUTHFUL)
Perhaps in these photographs it is possible to reveal more of a state of mind because the photographs do represent an instant, a freezed moment. Often our emotions leak through our expressions and can be captured by the camera... However the problem evolves intot hat of misinterpretation and if a split second truly represents a human being, or moment
Sunil gupta - from here to eternity 1995, battle with HIV, dyptychs paired with a photograph of a London gay club
Anita Khemka - p48 - photographed to ease the pain, staged moments in public spaces. By p;lacing herself in the public domain she had less control over the resulting image. Tension between what is staged and what is spontaenious.
Nan goldin - one month after being battered 1984
image reclaims that which she might have lost (eye sight, pride)
(DEFINITELY, FOR THE ACCURACY AND WHAT IT ACHIEVES)
Elina Brotherus, ranges from very personal to the ambiguous, illustrates the stylistic range and development of her work.
Jeff Harris - toronto based, takes his self portraits on a dauly basis and uploads them to his website. 3'500+ portraits. in depth study of himself. ****
BODY
connection between self and body, occupied philosophy - descartes, kant and psychoanalysis
Seems a lot of these are not accurate representations, but manipulations and half truths, yes they are a body but reveal less than a face, well at least to me, not saying that they don't reveal anything at all but identity lies in the face and the personality.
Need to discuss why I would reject certain self-portraits, perhaps should clarify that I am focusing that on which depicts the face or a definite sense of identity as it does in the FACE book. WHY
MASQUERADE
FREUDIAN ALTER EGO HERE!!
Photography may offer an escape because the truth is something we do not want to confront!!
People can have two identities... Max Ernst, Loplop and Dadamax
Aneta Grzeszykowska rephotographs Cindy's photographs p102
Tracey Moffatt, portraying famous people, but I like how the chosen picture has been circled, this gives context with other pictures and also highlights a concsious choice, and I beleive allows for a better representation of reality here
STUDIO AND ALBUM
"I pose, I know I am posing, I want you to know I am posing, but ... this additional message must in no way alter the precious essence of my individuality" - Roland Barthes
studio where photos are made, album where photos are portrayed
19th cent
structured realm
distance devices to help feel at ease infront of the camera
Shokoufeh Alidousti - rare glimpses of erself doesn't reveal much, accurate representation more so than others that one respects their own privacy? Perhaps all other self-portraits are slightly forced.
PERFORMANCE
'i love acting, it is so much more real than life' oscar wilde
Perhaps the representation we create is never us because we will never be completely in possession of all the facts of reality... And so it is always a created self that can never be freed from bias because the mere fact of representing has done that for us whether it be in a printed form, digital, from the camera or not.
Simon Johnson
www.thephilosophicalphotographer.co.uk
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