Photography self portraits PPT

The Exploration of Self

The personal value of self portraits and what artists see.

Since the fifteenth century and the advent of the mirror, artists have modeled for themselves in their own works of art. Whether it is an in-depth exploration of the artist’s own psyche or simply because as a model, the artist is clearly the cheapest and most available, whatever the reason, nearly every artist, in every medium from painters to sculptors to photographers have attempted this exploration of self.

Why?

By exploring the many different kinds of self-portraits the artists ask us, the viewer, to attempt to understand the need to create these works, how we benefit from them, and the discovery of the different “selfs”. In comprehending the personal value of a self-portrait, we gain insight into our own personalities, what we wish to show, what we wish to portray, and even what we wish to hide.

MAY YOUR LIFE SOMEDAY

BE ASAWESOME AS IT IS ON FACEBOOK.

"When I dig into the clay, I pull out a vision that previously existed nowhere but inside my head, or some other place I don't know but am in touch with.” Michael Alfano

The self has long been an artistic subject for humanity, intimately expressing how individuals have seen themselves while simultaneously providing insights to wider cultural trends and values. It is in this way that self portraiture can be seen as a unique and important part of our shared cultural heritage, as the self remains an important subject for artists today. Contemporary self portraits encourage debate around a range of issues including individuality and identity.

Katherine Griffiths

Petrina Hicks, Venus

Tobias Richardson, Look at the Giant Museum

Alex Seton, Soloist

Sancintya Simpson, Blood-link

Jacqui Stockdale, Selfie

Peter Vidani

Phillipe Dame

When thinking about your intended self portrait, take a moment to think about how you want to be portrayed in your image. We all have more than one side to us. What kind of emotion do you want to convey? You may know how to say what you want to photograph in words, but putting it into visual images and communicating is a different story. Remember, that you are creating a visual story with your picture.

CREATIVE VISUALIZATION

Be creative. Day dream for a while. Even meditate if necessary. In this state of mind, you may see images as a primary means of communication instead of words.

Reflect on your experiences. How do you see yourself? How do you think the world see’s you? How do you wish the world could see you? Draw from your life experiences, good, bad or indifferent.

Alex Stoddard

Kelli Connell

The Birth of Cindy Sherman

By stepping in front of the camera, Sherman uses her images as a social commentary on the role women play in modern society by portraying stereotypes not specific people. Her style has become quite distinct through her numerous series as she engages her audiences by leaving so much open to individual interpretation.

Cindy Sherman is the ultimate self-portrait photographer having built nearly her entire career with unique and varied images of herself, though one cannot really call her images “self-portraits” in the sense that they do not specifically portray herself. When asked about the characters she portrays her response is: “None of the characters are me, they’re everything but me. If it seems too close to me, it’s rejected.”

"If I knew what the picture was going to be like I wouldn’t make it. It was almost like it was made already.. the challenge is more about trying to make what you can’t think of."

- Cindy Sherman