Self-Portraits in Art

Feather Eye

I had been hesitant on the idea of self portraits in photography for a very long time.  For the most part, I thought that self portraits were a conceited effort for self promotion.  Considering all the possible subjects there are for one to capture, I never thought of myself as a good one to start with.  I am average looking, average built, and certainly a typical thirty something woman trying to make the best of her life experience.  

A couple of months ago, I was alone at my apartment cleaning up my studio.  It's a small room where I keep all my DIY projects that I never finished, along with my photography equipment.  I then spotted some peacock feathers that I had bought some time ago, and then suddenly, I had the urge to pick up my camera.  The Feather Eye photo is one of my favorite fine art pictures so far in my store, and it turned out to be a self portrait.  Talk about irony.

Since then I had been reading on the subject.  Contrary to my limited assumptions, self portraits are a very important stage in the life of an artist.  We live with ourselves, and understanding our own nature is the first step for understanding anything else.

I can quote and share thousands of artists whose self portraits have turned out to be the cornerstone of their work.  Here are some of my favorites...

Vincent van Gogh was an avid self portrait artist.  He was a sensitive soul whose last words were "The sadness will last forever".  A troubled soul, van Gogh turned out to be one of the most influential figures in the Post-Impressionism art movement.

I was lucky to be able to see a small exhibition on her work last year, while visiting the MoMA in NYC.  Frida Kahlo's work is irreverent, unapologetic, and honest.  She used painting as a way of escapism, giving us a peak into her mind and soul.

Vivian Maier is probably unknown to most of us, but her work as an amateur street photographer  is stupendous.  She died in 2009, and after her death her work has come out and is rapidly becoming a favorite.  She held a private life as a nanny, always carrying her camera and not sharing her photographs with anyone.  It is said that she produced about 100,000 negatives throughout her life, documenting her surrounding wherever she went.  Her self portraits are that, intimate and simple.  I really like her style, showing that self portraits are as valid as a good street shot.

White Flag

Please don't.  After a bittersweet part time job in retail, I have survived and back to my normal self.  There is a not so distant sound of a much possible full time job in my horizon, and I am praying that it works.  I'm going to interviews this next week, so wish me luck!  For the past year and a half I tried to put together a photography business that didn't go as I had hoped for, although I have to say that I have grown tremendously as a photographer and as a person.  Just the simple fact of trying something so completely new to me has given me a new perspective in life and myself.  So, it was worth all the effort.  My passion for photography is still strong and present.  It is my constant and I hold on to it.

About risks and wire walking

There is something about daredevils that attracts us.  The fact that another human being is capable of doing that thing that scares us the most fascinates everyone.  To witness their bravery, their audacity, brings us to a state of wonder and delight.

When I learned about Phillpe Petit, I was immediately reminded of Karl Wallenda, a famous circus performer who died in my hometown while trying to perform a wire walk.  I was only two years old when this happened, so of course I don't have a recollection of the incident.  But his death remained as part of the collective conscience of the island.

Mr. Petit did something almost impossible.  The Twin Towers stood as two concrete giants in NYC, and they seemed untamable.  He was lured to them and in the end, he conquered them.  He proved the impossible to be possible.

This all made me wonder about risks.  After all, Mr. Wallenda had done these acts and he was an expert in doing them, but he failed at a much less complicated attempt.  Why did one was a success and the other failed?  Given the two circumstances an equal stand, why is it that one crossed over and the other fell short?

We all agree that a life without risks is not worth living.  Risks are the opportunity to change, to grow, and to conquer.  We all win and loose in different circumstances, and each result will bring something. We will regret some of the risks taken, but we will also celebrate others.  The question is, when.  When do we take these risks.

For our daredevils, the wind factor was the most crucial of risks, and it determined the final outcome.  We need to let the wind in our lives pass, before we take the next step forward.  For this wind will determine you crossing to the other side or falling to the ground.

In love with Fonts

Yesterday I indulged in a good amount of doing nothing.  I made the mistake of falling asleep with my contact lenses on Monday night, and by Tuesday morning my right eye was as red as ripe cranberry.  The eye has been bothering me enough to not even stand a good read, so I declared a day of staying in bed and watch TV.  Luckily, I have my Netflix queue filled with a whole bunch of goodies, so I was entertained all day long.  And this led me to the most interesting documentary I've seen in a long time.

Helvetica.  Yes, the font.  I saw this documentary devoted to its history and popularity that caught my attention right away.  But, more than Helvetica per se, I was fascinated by the art that created it in the first place, meaning, the type design.

Of course, this is a very specific art.  It has to do with beauty and practicality, with language and the message that it represents.  The basic lines and curves arranged so perfectly, that it gives the impression of having a life of their own.  For example take...

 

This is the letter g in lower case in the font Bakersville.  I read a blog post that described it as fragile, gentle, delicate, soft, fashionable and fun.  And it is all these things! Now g lowercase in Bakersville is an instant favorite.  But one does not take the time to examine language with such detail, and we are missing out on beauty right in front of us.

I know this is a photography blog, and maybe you have no interest in the world about what I am writing about.  But I honestly think that in order to become better photographers, we need to pay attention to art, in general.  Be it in a font, or a drawing, or a piece of good writing, beauty will appear to us through any of these forms.  This in the end will give our eyes a sharp attention to spot beauty when is presented to us. We will have the ability to recognize it and not miss our next good shot.

A feather in my hand

Subtle

Bliss: A short TTV video

TTV (Through the Viewfinder) is a technique that adds a moody quality to any imagery.  The idea would be to take a picture or video through the lens of another camera, usually an old, vintage one, to recreate the dusty and shadowy feel of the antique viewfinder.  I found this short clip for TTV in video, which I had never seen.  I am not sure if it's a real TTV (photographers and videographers can produce digital filters to resemble this effect), but I really liked it anyway.

I got myself a Part Time Job at....

Oh yesss.... I started working there about a month ago, and so far, it's been good.  This is the first time in my life that I work at a retail store.  It is hard on the legs, that's for sure,  and one has to keep up with so many details.  But I am finally getting used to the hectic flow and understanding where everything goes.  Finally I will start receiving some much needed cash flow.  

Are you a fan? Don't have a clue of what Anthropologie is?  Here's an article that writes on the style they represent and how they do it.