Portraiture : the self as art

The purpose of this project was to find out what it is about the self that deserves to be depicted in a work of art; what other artists have done in selfportraiture that may help me in my efforts; and what my own contribution to the history of self-portraiture could be. Self-portraiture is significant in its ability to serve as a personal platform to define the artist's life and relationships with society as well as other individuals. Many times selfportraiture becomes a visual self-search to recognize our own characteristics and traits that make us complete individuals. I investigated the history of self-portraiture as well as the life and work of six artists. I concentrated on the symbolism and psychological undercurrents present in many selfportraits. With my research in mind, four images were created based on preliminary sketches of myself and another close friend. The final images are watercolor, oilbar and sgraffito on paper. Two images are grid pieces and the other two are single companion pieces. The finished pieces were framed andexhibited at the Ball State University Museum of Art. The final images fulfilled all the goals at which I had aimed. They are visually exciting, successfully composed and well constructed. During their execution I was able to elevate the quality of my work, bringing it to a greater maturity level. This group of portraits also worked as a tool to put my life and relationships into a new perspective.Department of ArtThesis (M.A.