...are ones that paint self-portraits. As we all well know, artists have a lot of firepower at their disposal. It comes from being trained to look critically and creatively at the things you see. For an artist to turn that kind of acuity on him- or herself says a lot about who they are and what they want to be.
Two cases in point:
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Rembrandt: He went through amazing successes and debilitating
poverty in his career, and he documented the marks that those
experiences left on him in his self-portraiture. I find looking at his
paintings to be quite an intimate experience because the artist gives an
unvarnished look at himself most of the time. They can be
uncomfortable, sympathetic, and impressive, but I don't think anyone
could doubt how much of an artist he is. |
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Frida Kahlo: Her self-portrait paintings take me on a hell of a
ride. I mean, the amount of vulnerability and unsparing exposure she
showed about her relationships, body crises, and mental state boggle my
mind. But Kahlo, no matter how painful or tragic the circumstances she
was depicting, always found a way to turn her personal experiences into
art. Her self-portraits reflect that. |
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Right now, American Artist is holding a contest in honor of all of the great self-portraiture being done by contemporary artists. I'd love to see your work among the entries. Enter now!
