SELFIES VS SELF PORTRAITS

Now that I'm back, at least for a little, let's talk about something very prominent in conversations today: selfies.

The idea of a selfie isn't exactly new, it's just mainstreamed so much recently that we feel like it is new. Technology today is literally programmed to take selfies, I mean what else would a front facing camera on your phone do besides take pictures of yourself? But before we had cameras selfies were still relevant. A self portrait is the artistic term for selfie, so let's think back to some of the more aesthetically pleasing selfies...

Even though self portraits date back to some of the earliest pieces of art, they became more prominent during the Early Renaissance. This was during the mid-15th century, when mirrors became cheap enough for most people to buy. One of the earliest self portraits is thought to be by Jan Van Eyck's Portrait of a Man in a Turban painted in 1433. Even though it cannot be proven that it is a self portrait.

Jan Van Eyck, Portrait of a Man in a Turban, 1433, oil on panel, National Gallery, London

Sometimes artists when they would paint mythical or religious scenes would put commoners' faces or their own in as some of the many background people. If you think about this in a Contemporary manner, they are in a way Photoshopping a selfie of themselves into an image of their favorite story, which is really quite humorous.

The first prolific self-portraitist, or selfie obsessed artist was Albrecht Durer. His most well known self portrait being his Christ-like selfie when he was 28.

Albrecht Durer, Self Portrait in a Fur-Collared Robe, 1500, oil on linden wood, Alte Pinakothek

However one of the most well known artists to create numerous self portraits was Vincent van Gogh. Vincent created over 35 self portraits in his time, many after he cut off his ear. One of my personal favorites it this self portrait:

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait, 1890, oil on canvas, Musee D'Orsay, Paris

In a way these self portraits/selfies are very important in the development of artists over time not only because it is a way to work with a cheaper model but also because it shows their specific style as well as show their face (when most people are generally not aware of what artists actually look like but just know them by their name and most famous works). Artists can go on without anyone knowing who they are, which is good and bad. They should be recognized for their beautiful pieces and the viewers should be aware that a person did it instead of some anonymous artistic machine.

I've always had a personal interest in self portraits and find it very intriguing how artists portray themselves.  I suggest looking up artists and seeing if they have self-portraits, most Contemporary artists don't seem to do selfies (which is ironic) but many 18th Century and the centuries preceding have many artists that do.

I'm curious as to what other people think and why Contemporary artists don't create as many selfies as before, let me know by leaving a comment or tweeting at me!!

DEBATABLE: SKETCHBOOKS

From my experience, teachers of art classes try to ingrain in their students that having a sketchbook is necessary and crucial to success. Having a sketchbook on you at all times = success in the art world. I understand how this works because there have been times where I am about to fall asleep and had a great idea to write down or sketch out and my sketchbook is down by the TV. But then again I know many people who don’t use any sort of a sketchbook and don’t write anything down. Now these people are still successful so can we really relate that back to whether or not they use a sketchbook? 

Yes I agree, it depends upon the person. I am very forgetful so I have my sketchbook at hand (almost) all the time. But then again, I rarely draw in my sketchbooks instead, I write things out. Like I said in my mini bio, it helps me understand things better and I visualize everything in my head so a small detailed description is all I need to remember.

Some people use their sketchbooks as if they are their brains, scribbling everything down and constantly doodling mini masterpieces. I honestly wish I could be one of those artists. But are these people always going to be more successful than people who just write words down or people that don’t even own a sketchbook? 

Let’s look at some examples.

-Claude Monet used his sketchbooks to draw, often times whatever surrounded him or inspired him. http://www.clarkart.edu/exhibitions/monet/sketchbooks/

-Mexican director Guillermo Del Torro uses his sketchbooks for mainly writing things down but he also includes some sketches

http://flavorwire.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/sketchbook11.png

(For further pictures of famous artists sketchbooks heres a good group I found this interesting post: http://flavorwire.com/232810/inside-the-sketchbooks-of-famous-artists)

I guess it comes down to personal preference. My boyfriend is very successful at his art but because his work is all electronic he finds that he doesn’t need to write anything down. In my opinion, he should still write down the process and therefore he can easily duplicate processes or fix them down the road. But, for him, it works.

What do you guys think?