Self-portraiture is one of the most adaptable genres, as evidenced by its long presence in visual arts since 1498 when Albrecht Durer introduced oil-painted self-portraits through Albrecht Durer and later Robert Cornelius’ oil paintings of himself as oil portraits; until 1839 when Cornelius took photos himself for Robert Cornelius to make the first photographic self-portrait; since then photographers and artists alike have utilized analog and digital processes alike to capture self-portraits.
Selfies have come up in conversation lately because two notable fine-art photography shows in New York state relate in some way to self-portraiture or at least “the self”.
“Alter Egos | Projected Selves,” an exhibition at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcases an extensive variety of self-portrait styles as well as works that don’t clearly fall under this genre.
“I Believe I’ll Run On,” an up-and-coming artist Joshua Rashaad Mcfadden (b. 1990) of Rochester, New York will show his work at George Eastman Museum. In this exhibit – no self-portraits included! – Mcfadden investigates concepts of self by looking outside himself at others. As an African American artist he examines racism and anti-Black violence that Black Americans have been experiencing from slavery until today as well as other topics including masculinity, sexuality and gender issues in his works.
Learn more about each of the shows listed above – as well as others – by scrolling down this page.
