Selfie as the Modernised Version of Self-Portrait

In Chapter 1 of How to See the World, (2015) Nicholas Mirzoeff asserts that the ‘selfie’, ‘resonates not because it is new, but because it expresses, develops, expands and intensifies the long history of the self-portrait.’ Referring to at least two visual examples used by Mirzoeff in the chapter and including some of your own visual research write an essay that explores the critical relationship between the self and the self-portrait.

Introduction

Self Portraits have become a fundamental part of today’s society, thanks to the rise of the selfie. The selfie is simply a modern visual example of the classic self-portrait, and it will remain a representation waiting to be interpreted. Often as a way to express one’s own appreciation of themselves, or for numerous other reasons, it is hard to go about day to day life without coming in contact with some form of self-portrait on a regular basis. Mirzoeff talks about how the selfie is nothing new, but more of a reformation of the original self-portrait, in a more readily available and diverse package.

Within the genre of portraiture, self-portraiture is often believed to be one of the most difficult subgenres to define as such. The meaning behind creating a self-portrait can vary vastly, which is what this essay is going to cover, along with how the selfie has changed the modern world we live in, and the origins of the self-portrait, long before the camera was used to capture them. History of the self portrait Although self-portraits are commonly associated with the medium of photography, the origins of the artform derive from early painters. The first recorded self-portraits came during the Renaissance period, where the theory of individualism really developed during 1500AD. This was along the same time mirrors were really being made, so it goes hand in hand with this new opportunity for one to see themselves from an outside view.

Those who would create self-portraits were those who could afford it, creating an image that would show off their importance and level of power, but most importantly showing a version of themselves that they want others to see. Las Meninas, a famous painting by Spanish artist Diego Velázquez, is a painting regarded as a self-portrait, even though Velázquez is not the main focus of the image. He is seen to the side holding his brushes, with other figures in the image. All of the people in the image can be seen to be looking at somebody out of frame, and after inspection, there is what seems to be a mirror at the back of the room, brightly lit, framing an image of the king and queen. This painting was created to be hung in the office of the king, so that is likely to be the reason the people in the image are all staring back at the viewer, as when he viewed it, it would help him view himself as a member of authority. This idea that a self-portrait has the ability to create a way for viewers to see the subject, has continued until today. Within the image, Velazquez presents himself as a member of royalty by painting the red cross on his clothing, which at the time was a known symbol of nobility. By doing this, he is portraying himself as a nobleman which he was not, creating a persona and an image for people to see that he has constructed in a way that may not be the truest reflection of himself. This idea is still prevalent in the modern form of the self-portrait, which this essay will go on to discuss. The start of self-representation and misrepresentation through photography The drowned man is an image created by Hippolyte Bayard, a French practitioner who was “credited with inventing the selfie” (Mirzoeff, 2015).

The images depict him laying down, eyes shut. Many believed him to be dead from the colour and tone of his skin, but the photograph is one of the first to images to contain faked detail, to create an image that may be more exciting or appealing to the viewer, rather than accurate. This can be linked to the modern selfie, as the ability to edit and adjust one’s own features to a way they may find more attractive, have created a world flooded with technically fake images and fake representations of people. The idea of the selfie being an old concept can be understood after seeing these images. It makes one wonder if this new-found vanity of modern society is as new as it has been made out, as after knowing more about images such as the self-portrait as a Drowned Man, we can begin to understand how it is nothing new that people want to be representing themselves in an alternate way, and perhaps it has always been to impress, and to inflict a new image in someone’s mind of how you really are. The selfie and self-representation The selfie, as previously mentioned, has become a daily sight for most people with access to the internet of any platform where advertising is shown. “we understand a portrait in any medium to be an artist’s interpretive rendering of the ‘subject’ while a self-portrait is an artist’s presentation of self.” (Jawdat, 2013). With the increase in technological advances, it has come to a time where anybody can create a self-portrait at any time.

Gone are the days of when only the rich and aristocratic could afford to have self-portraits made to show their power, as now most people have access to a camera or smartphone at all times. This can be linked to the theory of the comparison trap. As more and more selfies are posted online every year, the more people begin to compare themselves to those they idolise, for example celebrities and peers from work or school. This can damage the viewers self-esteem, as it becomes hard not to notice flaws in yourself that you fail to see in the image you are looking at. This damaging behaviour links back to images such as “Drowned Man’, where the image has been staged for effect on the viewer. This is no different to airbrushed models and expensive consumables, where things are implanted into a self-portrait style image to make others question and draw attention to your image even further. The image, posted by celebrity Kendall Jenner, shows her taking a selfie in the mirror of a luxurious bathroom, in clothes that are far from the average consumers wardrobe budget. She is posing in a way to accentuate her natural curves and has a full face of makeup. This image has been seen by millions and is a great example of the comparison trap.

Many viewers will see this image, and it shows, what in reality is, a life they are likely to never achieve. This links back to the early days of the self-portrait, where only those who could afford so would have them painted, and in this image there is the same ideology of superior status and authority. This is further reinforced by the images caption, ‘not a costume, a lifestyle’. The new visual culture that the selfie thrives in, has been criticised by many to be ‘self-obsessed’. (Mirzoeff, 2015). The idea that many people will upload selfies on a regular basis, based on the hope they may receive compliments and reassurance of their good appearance. This could be argued that it may not be a move of pure vanity, and one that is simply trying to portray ones-self in a way that they may want to be seen. The self-portrait has always been a way to show yourself off, but in a manner that may be seen as flattering or overly forgiving. In a time where maybe only the most skilled could be titled as a self-portraiture artist, this title can now be given to anybody with immediate access to a camera phone. Misrepresentation Many people believe that the idea of a selfie is to simply show one’s self to the rest of their following, or to those who chose to view it, but a major issue with this is that a lot of self-portraits are a misrepresentation of a person. “Selfies can be constructed to represented who you want. “ (Torres, 2019).

The idea that the selfie is more of a construct, hints towards the idea that it is most likely going to accentuate positive features of a person, rather than a realistic overview. Factors such as plastic surgery, photoshop and even consumer apps like Face Tune, have created a world where it is now possible to form yourself into somebody you may not be, almost an alter-ego of the real person you are. One idea where this may be prevalent is the use of dating apps. The idea that you are judging someone within the couple of seconds based on their appearance means many people are going to want to grab attention, and to look the best they possibly can. For many, this them means turning to external ways to enhance they’re natural appearance, essentially representing themselves as someone they are not. This sits hand in hand with the idea of the comparison trap. People see images of those they wish to look like and will go to great lengths to create an appearance for them self in a selfie that they think others will appreciate, when in reality they are simply mirroring what they have seen in the images of those they idolise. This is not always the case however, as many artists intend to create a realistic image of themselves through their artwork.

One example of this is ‘Self Portrait’ by Robert Mapplethorpe. The image depicts him sitting in a dark studio, his face to the right-hand side of the photograph, with a cane in the foreground. The cane has a skull on top, which is a relevant feature when talking about the reasoning behind the image. Mapplethorpe was diagnosed with AIDS and died a year after this image was taken from an illness related to his diagnosis. The black outfit he wore helps to isolate his face, which has a stern but inviting expression. The image is well constructed with the skull being a close link to the meaning behind the image. In this image, he is not trying to represent himself in any other way than he sees himself and is telling a true-life story through one simple self-portrait. The idea that a story can be told through a self-portrait is still very common in the modern portrait, with many posting selfies with a background of where they are, or what they are doing/wearing, to try and convince the viewer the life they are living is beyond what it may really be.

Conclusion

It has become clear after looking into the early self-portrait paintings that the idea of the selfie is not necessarily new, and neither is its meaning. Where things have changed is how they are distributed, and how anybody is now able to create their own self-portrait with the click of a button, and distribute it to the internet as a form of gallery space with another. Anybody can now represent themselves in a way they see desirable, and it doesn’t seem like it will change anytime soon. From the drowned man to Instagram selfies from popular celebrities, the artist is able to create a persona that they wish to be seen, however realistic it may be.