Self-i
In my project “Self-i,” I explore the intersection of self-expression, through a unique and participatory approach. Empowering my subjects, I hand them a remote control, granting them complete autonomy in capturing their own image for a predetermined duration. This process allows individuals to curate their poses and presentations, fostering a profound connection between self-perception and photographic representation.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, some participants opted to contribute remotely by emailing selfies to me which were taken on their mobile phones. Embracing this digital exchange, I take on the role of photo editor / retoucher by manipulating the self-portraits using analogue and digital techniques. I infuse the images with my own interpretation of Instagram and mobile phone filters, probing the intersection of personal identity and the visual aesthetics of contemporary digital culture.
The ‘Self-i’ VR 360 Gallery can be viewed on the button below.
This is the link to the The ‘Self-i’ virtual gallery link. https://self-i.co.uk
The selfie is a millennial social phenomenon; Once the sole domain of teenagers, it has now permeated our culture on a grand scale arguably distorting how we perceive ourselves and how we want to be perceived, as we turn the camera in on ourselves.
In essence selfies, it could be argued are a form of self-portrait and the West has a rich history in this respect. It starts with Albrecht Dürer signing his famous self-portrait age 28 in the early 1500’s. Unwittingly, (or was it? We will never know) he started an enduring cultural phenomenon that has found form in all artistic media across the globe, that of depicting your face as the place that you reside (your self). In the creation of a selfie, artist and subject are fused (literally and metaphorically).
We take a form that has traditions and accepted boundaries and then create many copies of our self. I wonder if these copies are a way of saying I am here. Here is my Self!
When Vincent Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo painted self-portraits, it was to interpret their emotional landscape. Van Gogh even depicted his self as a chair. However, more commonly now self-portraits captured on Digital Media serves the purpose of capturing “our best life” – perfect, the ideal, no matter how far removed that image may be from reality.
The norm today is to retouch and put photos through filters and textures to make us look different or better in our own eyes. My intention was to experiment with a variety of processes and techniques to explore my interpretation of filters and textures in this respect.
The selfie is a millennial social phenomenon; Once the sole domain of teenagers, it has now permeated our culture on a grand scale arguably distorting how we perceive ourselves and how we want to be perceived, as we turn the camera in on ourselves.
In essence selfies, it could be argued are a form of self-portrait and the West has a rich history in this respect. It starts with Albrecht Dürer signing his famous self-portrait age 28 in the early 1500’s. Unwittingly, (or was it? We will never know) he started an enduring cultural phenomenon that has found form in all artistic media across the globe, that of depicting your face as the place that you reside (your self). In the creation of a selfie, artist and subject are fused (literally and metaphorically).
We take a form that has traditions and accepted boundaries and then create many copies of our self. I wonder if these copies are a way of saying I am here. Here is my Self!
When Vincent Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo painted self-portraits, it was to interpret their emotional landscape. Van Gogh even depicted his self as a chair. However, more commonly now self-portraits captured on Digital Media serves the purpose of capturing “our best life” – perfect, the ideal, no matter how far removed that image may be from reality.
The norm today is to retouch and put photos through filters and textures to make us look different or better in our own eyes. My intention was to experiment with a variety of processes and techniques to explore my interpretation of filters and textures in this respect.