What is a selfie?
In my opinion, a selfie is a photo of one or more people. It is often taken by the person in the photo using a smartphone being held in the hand or a selfie stick. You can also take selfies using some sort of camera. Wikipedia says that a selfie is a 'self-portrait digital photograph typically taken by a digital camera or smartphone, which may be held in the hand or supported by a selfie stick.' It also says that they are often made to appear casual. "Selfie" typically refers to self-portrait photos taken with the camera held at arm's length, as opposed to those taken using a self timer or remote. A selfie, however, may include multiple subjects. As long as the photo is being taken by one of the subjects featured, it is considered a selfie.
I have taken selfies recently and sometimes share them on social media. I take selfies when on holiday to have memories of being there and other reasons. Artists/photographers take self-portraits because the first things photographers did when they learned how to fix light on a surface was to turn their rudimentary cameras on themselves.
Here are some examples of selfies:
I have taken selfies recently and sometimes share them on social media. I take selfies when on holiday to have memories of being there and other reasons. Artists/photographers take self-portraits because the first things photographers did when they learned how to fix light on a surface was to turn their rudimentary cameras on themselves.
Here are some examples of selfies:
Vivian Maier
Vivian Maier(Feb 1, 1926 - Apr 21,2009) was an American street photographer whose work wasn't found until after she had died. She worked for most of her life as a nanny whilst taking photographs. In her life, she took more than 150,000 photos which were mostly of the people and architecture of Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. But she did travel and take photos worldwide. In her life Maier's photos were unknown so they weren't published. As a result lots of negative prints she had were never printed.
In 2007, 2 years before Maier died she had struggled to keep up with payments for the storage space she had rented and her negatives, prints, audio recordings and film were auctioned. Jon Maloof, Ron Slattery and Randy Prow bought it.
Vivian Maier's photographs were published for the first time in 2008 by Ron Slattery but it received very little response. Later in 2009, Jon Maloof linked some of his blog to Vivian's photos on Flickr and they went viral and ever since Maier's photographs have been exhibited all around the world.
Early in 2010 a Chicago art collector Jeffery Goldstein got hold of some of the Maier collection that Prow had from the auction and his collection had thousands of her many forms of photos, films and negatives.
Since the posthumous finding, Vivian Maier's photographs have received international attention in common media forms and her work has been in gallery exhibitions, books and documentaries about her.
In 2007, 2 years before Maier died she had struggled to keep up with payments for the storage space she had rented and her negatives, prints, audio recordings and film were auctioned. Jon Maloof, Ron Slattery and Randy Prow bought it.
Vivian Maier's photographs were published for the first time in 2008 by Ron Slattery but it received very little response. Later in 2009, Jon Maloof linked some of his blog to Vivian's photos on Flickr and they went viral and ever since Maier's photographs have been exhibited all around the world.
Early in 2010 a Chicago art collector Jeffery Goldstein got hold of some of the Maier collection that Prow had from the auction and his collection had thousands of her many forms of photos, films and negatives.
Since the posthumous finding, Vivian Maier's photographs have received international attention in common media forms and her work has been in gallery exhibitions, books and documentaries about her.
My response to Vivian Maier
Today I have taken photos inspired by Vivian Maier. I have got some ideas from the work that she did. Here is my response:
WWW: I took different types of photos e.g shadow selfies and mirror selfies
EBI: If i took more shadow selfies and maybe another type of selfie
EBI: If i took more shadow selfies and maybe another type of selfie
WWW:i took lots of mirror selfies and I achieved the task of taking one type of selfie
EBI: If I took more mirror selfies in different settings
EBI: If I took more mirror selfies in different settings
WWW:I took mirror selfies in different settings
EBI: I took more photos and if they were clearer
EBI: I took more photos and if they were clearer
From this video I learnt that a self portrait is telling people who you are as a person and a selfie is capturing a moment in time.They are both similar but a self portrait is a piece of artwork, to show someones personality and is planned and a selfie is more of a throwaway thing that is posed, less significant and less planned.
Omar Victor Diop and the art historical selfie
Fredrick Douglas (1818-1895) was a social reform activist, writer and statesman. He escaped from slavery and then became a leader of the abolitionist movement. He is known for his impressive oratory and writing. His experiences as a slave have been put into several autobiographies about him which became bestsellers. He is also remembered because he was the first African - American to be nominated for Vice President of the United States.
A Daguerreotype is a photograph taken by an early photographic process employing an iodine-sensitised silvered plate and mercury vapour and this photo is a daguerreotype. Douglas might of wanted to make portraits of himself to show his feelings and emotions to maybe whats happened to him or what was going on in his life at that time. |
Omar Victor Diop (1980) is a self-taught Senegalese photographer whose work is wanted globally. He works and lives in Dakar.
Diop wanted to show the importance of prominent individuals and their African history,and to try to change the way Africa is often portrayed. Media links Africa with negative issues such as famine and death and Omar Victor Diop wanted to show a different perspective .He makes portraits of himself dressed as important figures from African history.
Diaspora is the spread or dispersion of a particular ethnic/racial community across the globe.
Diop wanted to show the importance of prominent individuals and their African history,and to try to change the way Africa is often portrayed. Media links Africa with negative issues such as famine and death and Omar Victor Diop wanted to show a different perspective .He makes portraits of himself dressed as important figures from African history.
Diaspora is the spread or dispersion of a particular ethnic/racial community across the globe.
I like the Jean Baptiste Belley photos because of the way that Omar Victor Diop recreates the image. Firstly he is leaning on a football and I noticed that in every image Diop recreated in these series above he is holding an item to do with football. In the majority he is holding a football, but different ones and in the last he is holding what looks like football boots/shoes. This suggests that Diop is trying to show people that these prominent figures arent as serious, as they seem, maybe they all liked football but it wasnt something that the media payed attention to. The media often potays Africa as being poor and being in famine, but Diop wanted to show that thats not always the case. Although these men are famous and prominent figures people brand them as being 'other' . They get glory but also exclusion people trying to make them feel bad about themselves.Even in football there are balck men playing in top team and they still get racial chants and things thrown at them. Thats what Omar Victor Diop is trying to change.
Week 3 and 4
For weeks 3 and 4, we have to to create one or more self portraits inspired by a famous work of portraiture from art history.