According to in my copy of Mr. Webster's Dictionary, a portrait is "a pictorial representation, as in a painting, of a person". When Macquarie looked at the topic he was open minded enough to broaden the definition by adding "or a verbal picture, usually of a person"; so endeth the lesson. Well not really as this show, MAC's tenth annual self-portrait exhibition, attests to the fact that the idea and the reality of portraiture continues to expand.
The best portrait is one that takes us beyond a replication of the physiognomy to reveal aspects of the individual, something that adds 'ality' to the noun 'person' and that's what we have here. Don't worry if you're not familiar with the subject and can't tell if the work is a true representation of the artist's face as most exhibits reveal a glimpse of what lay behind the mask.
Kath Wheatley's clay and steel Driving Myself reveals personal determination as her eyes stare straight ahead while strong hands keep her on track. And Laurel Nannup's simple woodcut Me is a commanding image as it emits a sense of quiet strength. Sandra Hill's oil Quoberup (Good Place) employs symbols that refer to aspects of the artist's past and present that make her proud to be who she is while Anne Farren deals with the child she was and the woman she is now in her excellent textile and mixed media installation At Thirteen.
Some self-portraits employ attitudes and aspects of the past to comment on their own view of the present. With her ceramic work The Painted Lady, Robyn Lees comments on how old stereotypical views of women remain alive and well in today's society. And Bec Dean reveals how visual and literary aspects of an earlier era have influenced her thoroughly modern mixed media installation Rebecca - After Du Maurier.
The close-up eyes of Marcus Beilby tells us All Artists are Voyeurs but some artists don't want to show and tell. For example, Cathy Blanchflower is well hidden behind her non-figurative diptych Untitled that reveals nothing about herself. You have to look hard to find Harry Hummerston's visage in his letterpress lead type double image and John Paul suggests he's more interested in the act of painting then looking at the self as he half hides behind layers of oil paint in Head Shot. Other's don't mind revealing the id and ego as Ron Nyisztor's dual self-portraits Fever 2 suggest polarities in the human psyche and Greg James boldly depicts himself sculpting himself in this life size half body bronze A Work in Progress.
But the pictorial image isn't everything. The lyrical poem Self Portrait adeptly reveals aspects of writer Mardi May's character whileMike Singe graphically tells of the frustration and dedication owned by most artists. As a self-portrait Singe's Swap answers our questions about the maker's appearance and ability to communicate through art. It also asks the viewer to question the importance of art in general and self-portraiture in particular.