Assignment #2: Self Portrait

     

 

The above self portraits are meant to represent two sides to me, the first being how I see myself and the second is how others see me. 

A little bit more on the two self portraits above, I am not usually very comfortable with self portraits much less pictures of me in general but that is not to say that I do not like certain pictures of myself, because occasionally I find an appreciation for certain pictures of myself. Now to explain these photos. First off, over the last couple of years I have become well acquainted with Apple products and really enjoy using the app Photo Booth and the main two templates I prefer to use include Thermal and Glow, however since my iPad does not have the glow template I chose to just use the Thermal template. Secondly, I asked a few of my friends how they saw me and they gave me an example and I tried my best to stay true to the image they saw while still keeping it computationally interesting. Finally, I tried to just have fun with the whole process and what i found appealing.

Assignment #1: Self Portraits aka "Selfie"





Self Portraits are one of the few ways that artists can leave their mark in the world. However, Self Portraits can be more than just an artists signature, a self portrait is capable of expressing how the artist feels, their emotions, their opinions, and their persona. I think artists often make self portraits for many reasons including, lack of other models, ego, practice, to express an opinion, and many other reasons. On a personal level, as an Art major, I prefer to not make self portraits, I think they often glorify the artist in unnecessary ways that a truely great artist can achive in other ways. In social media today selfies, another form of a self portrait, express a social desire and need to be seen. In many ways selfies are more about making someone look good than about a good picture in itself.

Artemisia Gentileschi

 

Marie-Denise Villers

 

 

Lorenzo Ghiberti

 

Above are three artists and their self portraits. Although these artists probalby are not the most infamous for their self portraits compared to other artists, such as Frida Khalo, they each have their own unique way. Artemisia Gentileschi's self portrait is remarkable in my opinion simply because of the originality of the portrait, she does not use the typical face forward  and cut off at the shouldersbut takes an entirely different approach that can be appreciated as more than just a self portrait. Marie-Denise Villers also takes a slightly different approach however the biggest appreciation I have for this work is primarily the contrast in lighting. Lorenzo Ghiberti made a cast with gold coloring, unlike traditional drawn or painted portraits, making this piece unique as well. The unique ways these artists portray themselves is quite admirable and beautiful.