Contribute to our debate on differences between classic self-portraiture and ‘selfie’ starting February 1, 2016 on various network platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Youtube, by adding the hashtag #whataboutyourselfie or by sending an e-mail contribution to whataboutyourselfie [at] gmail.com

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Self-portraits, since ancient times, have broadcasted a variety of private issues of artists’ lives. They reported on, for example, processes of aging in the classic, drawn and painted self-portrait serials of Vermeer or Rembrandt, illness in the photo-works of Jo Spence, and identity crisis and mediated identities in photographs by Cindy Sherman. In each of them the relationship of subject/artist to audience is dynamic, based on psychological mirroring, empathy and identification.

Two types of self-portraits may be distinguished, with regard to audience;
(1) tautological, addressing no public at all, and (2) relational, asking for a relationship with the public. Contemporary social media ‘selfie’
phenomena prefers a monologue, diarist type of self-portrait that performs an exposure rather than truly uncovering.

This project invites relational self-portraits and links to self-portraits or their collections that:

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force us to research our own selfhood
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are made as homages and references to other’s identities
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are “self-portraits as someone else” in terms of travesty and
cross-dressing
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mirror the viewer by specific implementation of technology or medium.

For more information see http://whataboutyourselfie.info