portraiture and the facebook phenomenon

Serebryakora - Self Portrait

Imagine painting a self-portrait.

Which features or flaws would become more apparent to the beholder?
Would any of your 'best' features be seen as flaws by others?
Would you portray yourself sitting, standing, gazing out into the distance, or at work?
Would you be wearing everyday clothes, or your best.
Would you pose nude?
Would you position yourself at home, in recreational activity or within a completely other time?
Would you be alone, or surrounded by others? Who might those others be?

What intertextual references would be included, and what would they reveal about you?

Gaughin - Self Portrait

One genre for self-portraits is the social networking juggernaut, Facebook.
The profile presented by clients of Facebook is revealing as much by omissions as what is offered.

Do I see myself in the same way others regard me?

Am I wholly encompassed by what I contribute to facebook? Of course not. It is an imperfect account of who you are, because portraiture is not only who you think you are, but who others believe you to be.

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