Reading and Viewing Assignment

Reading and Viewing Assignment

Self-portrait is classified as an independent form of art whereby the artist uses various techniques such as painting or photography to capture and present an image of themselves. Self-portraits have been used in art since time immemorial by different artists. The use of paints and other forms, such as curvings, have also been used in the past to create self-portraits. Advancements in technology have enabled the aspect of photography whereby self-portraits are now captured as selfies. Photography has made the construction of self-portraits a lot easier and time-saving as click on a camera captures the image in real-time. Self-portraits focus on the crucial details of the object, such as emotions, beauty, among others (Hancheruk, H., McBride, J., & Witczak, K. (2016). They also represent a particular time and the mood in which the image was captured. They can also be used to express specific issues in society, such as slavery in the case of Glenn Ligon in how artists explore identity (“How artists explore identity,” 2015). As such, they enable viewers to get a detailed view of the artist in a bid to uncover the artist’s true self.

If I were to make a self-portrait using myself as the central material, the image would be a selfie captured through my cell camera. It would also focus on the face and visible smile. Primarily, such an image reflects a happy person who does not have physical or emotional flaws in the eyes of the viewer. These are the beauty standards that appeal to the people, and such a self-portrait would attract a lot of attention. A self-portrait of an inanimate material that represents my personality would include an up-close image of a racing car. It would reflect on my passion for race cars and track events