EYE TO I
The Artist’s Sense of Self
S
Eye to I: Self-Portraits from 1900 to Today
ELF-PORTRAITS IN THE
DIGITAL AGE are ubiquitous and instantaneous. Selfie-takers freeze a moment in time, often
one that attempts to show their desired public persona. The artist self-portrait takes longer to create, yet similarly tries to boil down the artist’s “self” to a single image. In a way, artists' self-portraits are not that different from selfies. They capture a moment, full of both public and private messages. Eye to I: Self-Portraits from 1900 to Today collects those artist selfies in a variety of mediums: prints, photographs, paintings, and drawings selected from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s vast collection. The exhibition examines how American artists have chosen to portray themselves since the beginning of the last century. “Individuals featured in Eye to I have approached self-portraiture at various points in history, under unique circumstances, and using different tools, but their representations—especially when seen together—all raise important questions about self-perception and selfreflection,” says Brandon Brame Fortune, chief curator emeritus at Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. “Some artists reveal intimate details of their inner lives through self-portraiture, while others use the genre to obfuscate their private selves or invent alter egos.” Featured in Eye to I are self-portraits by prominent figures in the history of 2
SPRING 2021
Art. History. People.
Elaine de Kooning, Elaine de Kooning Self-Portrait, 1946, oil on Masonite, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, courtesy Elaine de Kooning Trust.
