photography dicussion

Online Discussion #1: Selfies and Self Portraits The word “selfie” became official when the Oxford Dictionary named it the word of the year for 2013. Below is the official definition from the Oxford Dictionary:

NOUN (plural selfies) informal A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media: occasional selfies are acceptable, but posting a new picture of yourself every day isn’t necessary Origin Early 21st century: from self + -ie.

The Oxford Dictionary defines “Self Portrait” as such:

NOUN A portrait of an artist produced or created by that artist.

There are many types of self-portraits. Some are realistic representation of the artist herself/himself. Others are created in ways to make a statement. And of course, there are many self-portraits that try to convey a mental or psychological reflection. Self-portrait has been around for a long time. We have always view them as “art” regardless of the medium. That is until Photography comes around. If you recall, from your textbook, there was a time when mainstream society wonder if photography should be considered “art”. We currently find ourselves at a similar juncture with the rise of mobile phone. So here is my first prompt. Before you start on the discussion, please browse through the following links. No need to memorize anything, just read for knowledge sake. Once you are done, then go to the bottom and read MY PROMPT. Essays on Selfies and Self-Portraits http://www.dw.com/en/the-ego-as-a-work-of-art-from-self-portraits-to-selfies/a-18843991 http://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/discover/exhibitions/dutch-self-portraits-selfies-of-the-golden-age/ http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/oct/22/beyond-the-selfie-step-away-from-the- smartphone-this-is-what-artists-are-for https://theaesthetictrip.com/2014/11/09/selfie/ http://www.rcip-chin.gc.ca/sgc-cms/nouvelles-news/anglais-english/?p=9156 http://theartistique.me/the-best-selfies-of-art-history/ https://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/the-philosophy-of-ai-weiwei-from-andy-warhol-and-back- again Exhibitions relating to selfies http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/best-of-2015-this-year-in-art-selfies http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/15/arts/international/old-master-selfies-from-the-peak-of- dutch-painting.html?_r=1

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/russias-lenin-selfie-trend-323547 http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/andrea-mary-marshalls-feminist-pirelli-calendar-is-full- of-her-own-nudes http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/theres-an-entire-museum-for-artselfies-in-the-philippines https://news.artnet.com/art-world/pulse-scope-fairs-slam-selfie-culture-hello-kitties-neon-signs- 376154 http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/see-every-selfie-on-instagram-in-one-interactive- installation Other writings, competitions, exhibitions, and events relating to selfies and self-portraits http://selfiecity.net/# http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2014/10/04/art-in-the-age-of-instagram/ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-17/richard-prince-instagram-and-authorship- in-a-digital-world https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ways-of-seeing-instagram-37635 http://andapanciuk.com/the-selfie-vs-the-self-portrait/ http://blogs.academyart.edu/newspaper/2015/04/selfie_vs_self-port.html http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/06/09/the-un-selfie-taking-back-the-self-portrait/ http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/stories/self-portrait/ http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jan/02/getty-museum-in-focus-exhibition-birth- middle-class http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/whats-the-difference-between-a-selfie-and-a-self-portrait/ http://www.pdnonline.com/photoserve/The-Age-of-Narcissis-7516.shtml My Prompt: The discourse on whether a selfie is the same as a self-portrait has been raging for several years. Why do you think there is even a discourse? Is it because of the accessibility? Meaning anyone can pick up a mobile phone and snap a “self portrait”. Is it because the artist (the person taking the selfie) may not have been trained as an artist (in the traditional sense of art school)? And if you answer yes to the above 2 questions, is your perspective elitist? And if so, did you establish that perspective intuitively or is your perception tainted by social norms? If you don’t understand the questions, ask me or a friend. If you don’t understand a particular term, look it up. Ask questions before you submit your response. It is perfectly ok to ask. Please back up your answers with facts, cite references. Your references can be from the Ang textbook, magazines/newspaper, one of the online links I attached, an online article you found, etc… The first student to respond to the teacher’s prompt will end his/her response with a “MY PROMPT”. The student will post a question related to the discussion within this MY PROMPT. The next person that goes online will now answer the previous student’s prompt (you no longer answer the teacher’s prompt). This is how we continue and grow our dialogue. Try not to veer off topic.