A friend recently asked if I had ever worked on a series of self-portraits. Without much thought or deliberation, I blurted out, “No, it seems too self-indulgent.” In the aftermath, like so many times, I spent several days unpacking, pondering and evaluating my spontaneous proclamation. The art world today largely focuses on the expressive nature of art and the personal inner reality of each artist. “The self-portrait is definitely a thing. Interestingly, what draws me to great art are the ideas and what I believe is an earnest search for truth … and occasionally beauty. Certainly, a part of that truth is found through self-examination, but I contend that society is overly obsessed and consumed with self-interest at the moment.
Although one could argue humans have always been self-absorbed, the nature of this obsession, in my estimation, has increased exponentially over the past several decades. For instance, as a child, when my family visited the Grand Canyon, we rushed to the edge and looked out into the vastness and felt small. We studied the vista and tried to take it all in — to experience the moment, to record a memory or feeling. It never once occurred to any of us to take a selfie. If, by chance, one of us had a camera loaded with film and solicited a stranger to take a family photo, it would have been placed in a photo album and largely kept a private matter. Today, a dominant instinct would be to take a selfie and instantly post or publish it on the world wide web for everyone to see.
We spend too much time and energy curating images on social media sites in order to project an exciting, fulfilling, successful, perfect life rather than actually living that life. How did we get to this point? A moment in history when virtually everyone believes that what they are doing and experiencing is worth broadcasting across the globe.
Is it simply about getting attention and likes, or do we really think that our lives are that remarkable — that we are providing something of real value to those around us? Perhaps this thought never occurs to us, because we have made everything about ourselves. Even when we seemingly care for someone else or something bigger than our narrow self-interest, we are often angling for something in return, such as mutual admiration, increased status or perhaps envy.
For all those who believe they are making a difference with their social media account, before you make another post, consider the first selfie attributed to Jan van Eyck in 1433. His self-portrait is entitled the “Portrait of a Man.” It took van Eyck years to develop his artistic skills and due to this painting’s exquisite detail, it likely took several months to complete. It resides at the National Gallery in London in its original frame, which is engraved along the bottom with the motto “As Well As I Can.” This inscription is thought by historians and scholars to constitute an overt challenge to his fellow artists and to serve as a calling card for prospective clients, basically saying, “Look at what I can do with paint.”