Self portraits can often be an artist’s most iconic work. They tend to bring out one’s inner thoughts and ideas, and can provide the viewer an insight into the author’s life.
These were the objectives we had in mind when making our self portraits in art class. Having already made a self portrait of myself a few years ago, I felt I would be able to repeat fairly easily. However, unlike the previous one, this one was very different. Instead of just our face, the piece needed to include various objects and ideas that represent a part of us, and combining these parts would thus present, in a sense, a small summary of our life.
I wanted my self portrait to represent the various aspects of my life, and reflect my wide range of interests. The camera in which my face is encased is meant to represent my interest in filming and photography, while the hexagons in the camera are meant to resemble the pattern on a soccer ball. The balance behind my head reflects the fact that I am trying to balance between my responsibilities – school (represented by a pencil, eraser, and books) – and my hobbies and interests – soccer, drama, painting and photography. The interests side being lower than the responsibilities side was a deliberate move, meant to symbolize that I often lean more towards interests than responsibilities.
All in all, I think it came out very well, and it shows the various aspects of my life. Let me know what you think.
So, what do you think ?