Self Portrait Reflection

I think I usually prefer art that is more along the figurative line, where some things are shown and some are left out, some exaggerated, and so forth.  I think this is more interesting, because it implies a story, a history of how, and possible why the artist views the subject in such a way, and why he should choose to share this version of it with us.  Of course this affects our view of the subject, and perhaps isn't as wise if it is our first encounter with said subject.  But in my experience, I make art concerning things that concern me, things that I have an opinion about, and I usually try to communicate that impression or message through my work.  

Even in the work of photographer of Ansel Adams, who and whose work I think is spectacular, is if not figurative, altered in order to portray the awe with which he views his natural world.  

Then there are times, like in the paintings of early Chuck Close, whose awesome objectiveness and ability to render exact detail is just incredible.  And I think what makes these paintings so awesome is that in his ability to render such fine details, he removes the need to add any type of impression or message of his own.  He simply lets the power in that face, in those eyes, speak for itself.  

As far as my objective portrait goes, I didn't want to simply take one picture of me, straight on, and print it out and paste it on the wall and call it art.  That's not art, and it was boring to me.  I knew I couldn't draw or paint anything like Chuck Close, though before I saw his work I considered myself to be rather good at drawing faces.  I decided to take a picture of my head from each side, except the back, because I couldn't see where my head was in relation to the camera in the computer then.  The idea was that I would be able to combine the three images into one, by blurring the divisions between the different curly sections of hair, to make them appear unified.  To make this work, I later realized I'd need to combine the necks as well, and this makes the image look a little awkward.  However, since it is meant as an objective portrait, there is no real significance behind the unified neck.  It is possible that a viewer, might gather a message anyways, possibly that, figuratively, I look in many directions at once.  

For the subjective portrait, I wanted to totally abandon any outward appearances.  I did construct the symbols in the formation of a head however, in order to identify the picture as a portrait, as well as to communicate the idea that it is these things that combine to form a unified whole: me.  I did retain one outward vestige: the eyes.  Eyes are very important to me, because they are what most honestly express a person's sentiments.  They are unique to the individual, and I think that they, more than anything else, are what give animation to the face. All of the other images included in the subjective portrait were things from my life that are immediately special about and to me.  Obviously I left a lot of important things out, which I may add.