Added Oct 6, 2014
The Self
Over the years, I have become a good friend of the camera. To the contemporary artist, digital photography provides a number of tools that until recently did not exist or rather, did not exist so cheaply and never so easily accessible. Keeping record of things, from snap shots of places, things and people; capturing moments that you wish to never forget; to archiving in the most professional way has never been easier. The digital camera has a capacity of capturing a moment in time and transfer it to a number of dots that when placed in the right order trick us in believing it's a true image.
This is where a painting differs. Brush strokes are analogue, not digital. They are produced over a period of time, thus capturing a longer span that can be weeks. This fact, I believe, puts the artist in a better position to capture more than what he sees, more that the gist of the moment. It also gives the artist time to explore more, to try and understand more and to analyse more.
And when the subject is yourself, things start being interesting. The process gives you time to see yourself in detail. It gives you time to compare the reflection you see in the mirror, with the mental image you have of yourself. After a while you come to the realisation that the visible surface is just one layer of a multitude of layers that are there hiding behind the skin. The marks, the shades and the tones of the skin become a map that guides you through yourself and through your thoughts. The process of painting a self-portrait can kick-start a journey of change, a change in what the artist understands by the self