Reading Response 1: Universal Principles of Depicting Oneself across the Centuries: From Renaissance Self-Portraits to Selfie-Photographs
I found this reading interesting and thought-provoking, however, I didn’t find the central thesis as compelling as the author intended it to be. While I can acknowledge the similarities between modern selfies and 14th-century self-portraiture, I can’t get over the fact that one of these things requires immense skill and patience, while the other can be created by a toddler. I don’t think that it is fair to compare these two practices as art forms, but I do find it interesting to examine the human element involved and compare the motivations behind the creation of different types of self-portraits. The author, Claus-Christian Carbon, claims that painted self-portraits and portrait photography usually follow a complex set of established compositional principles, while the selfie is more often the product of a spontaneous feeling or source of inspiration. I think that this point about composition really emphasizes the differences between a self-portrait that can be considered art and one that doesn't necessarily have enough aesthetic components to be compared to real artworks. I found it interesting that the early self-portraiture artists were able to adorn themselves in clothing and riches through their work, while these displays of wealth didn’t honestly reflect their status. Comparing this idea to today, I think we see this a lot in the selfie world. People love to angle their cameras to make their bodies look slim or curvy in the right places, they use expensive props or accessories to try and elevate their social status, and even use Facetune and other similar programs to enhance their features and remove blemishes. While I do believe that the self-portraiture of the 14th century had more value and meaning than the modern selfie, I find it intriguing that artists have been interested in preserving their likeness to share with the world across many continents and centuries.
Below, I have attached self portrait examples from a few of my favorite artists, as well as two of my own digital photography self-portraiture works.
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