15.8.20 More about self portraiture
Roisin McVeigh interviewed a number of contemporary artists about self portraiture for the Mall Galleries blog and it’s interesting to read their perspectives, some of which strongly resonate with my own.
Self portraiture can be ‘a means of formal experimentation as well as psychological investigation’ (McVeigh, 2019). I feel as if mine are a combination. I experiment with material, form, colour, concept and process to communicate meaning but my self portraits are also an investigation of my psyche. I always hope that some of my viewers will recognise something of themselves in my work. I think that commonality is key.
Many other contemporary artists, such as Jenny Saville have ‘used self-portraiture politically, to subvert societal expectations around prescribed notions of beauty.’ (McVeigh, 2019). Others, like Kahlo, express loneliness and physical pain, or, like Lucas, their feminist ideologies. Others still explore their cultural roots and heritage through self portraiture. My work certainly subverts expectations of beauty, and yet often has an allure that is almost irresistible, alongside a provocation. It provokes a range of conflicting responses. Tim Benson says: ‘A portrait can be a beautiful thing, even if it's not of a beautiful subject matter done in a beautiful way. There's beauty in anger. There's excitement. Portraiture transcends necessity for something that is objectively safe or pretty or glorifying…it's almost a direct response to that, challenging that convention as explicitly as possible’ (in McVeigh, 2019).
For me, my body’s part in the making of my self portraits is critical. Benson goes on to describe his work as ‘aggressive’…‘muscular’… physical, visceral thing…quite painful but necessary’ (Ibid). Erin Lee los describes how Jenny Saville’s ‘corporeal application of paint teases out the fleshy meaning of the work’ (in McVeigh, 2019).
‘(S)elf-portraits give me a chance to try a new approach or spend time working something out – either about myself or about the particular situation I find myself in’ (Cobley in McVeigh, 2019).
‘It can also be an opportunity to get to know yourself better through this intense scrutiny – painting my hands has been particularly important. And of course, there's another aspect of painting which lies beyond the visual representation, which can become emotionally charged, often beyond what you expected’ (Lagarde in McVeigh, 2019).
‘(I)t became almost therapeutic in its ability to make me contemplate myself in a way that I don’t on a day to day basis…. painting it gave me a different relationship with myself that I think is only really capable through the intimate study of it. It was a refreshing break from the pressures society puts on appearance… representations of women were often geared towards the male gaze… The self-portrait for me is a way of challenging this convention and raising questions about the viewer’s own embedded perceptions of women’s self-portraits. As a female artist, I hope that by creating self-portraits I can contribute to rewriting traditional modes of representation and modes of viewing (Erin Lee in McVeigh, 2019).
Nick Grove: ‘ It’s essential to keep practising if you want to improve’ (in McVeigh, 2019). And that’s just as well, as I intend to keep practising!
McVeigh, R. (1999) The art of self portraiture Available at: https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/about-us/blog/art-self-portraiture (Accessed 29 July 2020)
Roisin McVeigh interviewed a number of contemporary artists about self portraiture for the Mall Galleries blog and it’s interesting to read their perspectives, some of which strongly resonate with my own.
Self portraiture can be ‘a means of formal experimentation as well as psychological investigation’ (McVeigh, 2019). I feel as if mine are a combination. I experiment with material, form, colour, concept and process to communicate meaning but my self portraits are also an investigation of my psyche. I always hope that some of my viewers will recognise something of themselves in my work. I think that commonality is key.
Many other contemporary artists, such as Jenny Saville have ‘used self-portraiture politically, to subvert societal expectations around prescribed notions of beauty.’ (McVeigh, 2019). Others, like Kahlo, express loneliness and physical pain, or, like Lucas, their feminist ideologies. Others still explore their cultural roots and heritage through self portraiture. My work certainly subverts expectations of beauty, and yet often has an allure that is almost irresistible, alongside a provocation. It provokes a range of conflicting responses. Tim Benson says: ‘A portrait can be a beautiful thing, even if it's not of a beautiful subject matter done in a beautiful way. There's beauty in anger. There's excitement. Portraiture transcends necessity for something that is objectively safe or pretty or glorifying…it's almost a direct response to that, challenging that convention as explicitly as possible’ (in McVeigh, 2019).
For me, my body’s part in the making of my self portraits is critical. Benson goes on to describe his work as ‘aggressive’…‘muscular’… physical, visceral thing…quite painful but necessary’ (Ibid). Erin Lee los describes how Jenny Saville’s ‘corporeal application of paint teases out the fleshy meaning of the work’ (in McVeigh, 2019).
‘(S)elf-portraits give me a chance to try a new approach or spend time working something out – either about myself or about the particular situation I find myself in’ (Cobley in McVeigh, 2019).
‘It can also be an opportunity to get to know yourself better through this intense scrutiny – painting my hands has been particularly important. And of course, there's another aspect of painting which lies beyond the visual representation, which can become emotionally charged, often beyond what you expected’ (Lagarde in McVeigh, 2019).
‘(I)t became almost therapeutic in its ability to make me contemplate myself in a way that I don’t on a day to day basis…. painting it gave me a different relationship with myself that I think is only really capable through the intimate study of it. It was a refreshing break from the pressures society puts on appearance… representations of women were often geared towards the male gaze… The self-portrait for me is a way of challenging this convention and raising questions about the viewer’s own embedded perceptions of women’s self-portraits. As a female artist, I hope that by creating self-portraits I can contribute to rewriting traditional modes of representation and modes of viewing (Erin Lee in McVeigh, 2019).
Nick Grove: ‘ It’s essential to keep practising if you want to improve’ (in McVeigh, 2019). And that’s just as well, as I intend to keep practising!
McVeigh, R. (1999) The art of self portraiture Available at: https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/about-us/blog/art-self-portraiture (Accessed 29 July 2020)