Detail of the painted ceiling in Waltham Abbey parish church, depicting the two-faced god Janus (photo by Steve Day, via Flickr)
CHICAGO — Selfies are part of our voluntary self-exposure in an attempt to take back the images of ourselves, but in the process we also give ourselves away. In the world of online selfies, faces are the focus; bodies tend to appear as afterthoughts. We see a collection of eyes, lips, mouths, noses, and cheekbones, all of which makes facial recognition online that much easier. By voluntarily offering your face to the internet public space, you become a part of the identifiable masses. Isn’t it time you faced yourselfie today?
Amber Watson
Amber Watson, “The Facebook Selfie” (2013)
Occupation: Production assistant
Selfie type: The Defiant Teen-Girl Throwback
The selfie as a medium has roots in adolescence, but it’s about far more than occupying a fluid age space. Sometimes, it’s just about talking to that teen-girl you once were.
“I wish I had something that was profound or funny to say about why I took the selfie, but it was pretty simple,” says Amber about hers. “I took the photo because I was feeling pretty when I took it. Well, actually more than pretty. I felt gorgeous. I’ve always struggled with truly feeling beautiful because I was teased and called ugly for my looks when I was younger. Even though I embrace how I look today, at times I can still feel like that 14-year-old girl who feels awkward and ugly. Now when I look at this particular selfie, its about telling my 14-year-old self, ‘Look at yourself. You’re more than beautiful. You’re fierce, unique, and striking.’”
Dana Martin Davis
Dana Davis, “A Parisian Lobster in Kansas City Selfie” (2013)
Occupation: CCO, Davis Steel
Selfie type: The Long-Arm Lean-In, or a Parisian Lobster in Kansas City
“A selfie means a smile just for me, by me, and a document of a specific item I am wearing or am proposing to wear,” says Davis. ”On a recent trip I lost an important dress at a hotel, and the front and back selfies I shot are my only remaining mementos. A slice in time. Party of one.”
When I asked Davis why she chose to take a selfie with lobster in tow, she offered me a clear and simple explanation: ”I was on my way to an event at the Mint Museum that was a farm-to-food dinner with the F.O.O.D. exhibit going on: ‘Food, Objects, Objectives, Design.’ It was a slam dunk. Hold the butter.”
Read the full story on Hyperallergic: http://hyperallergic.com/73901/our-faces-our-selfies/
