We are all born into this world with a history. What I do with my history and my present find ways to address my experience in it.  By examining deeper I realized that painting as a child and being “skilled” at it gave me praise and validation. Being relocated at a young age from Puerto Rico to Florida evoked a new sense of self-exploration and need to find connections. My new language, loved by all, became the tactility of paint and the possibilities of color that produced an image of both physical and emotional experiences. There is an importance to sustain the tactile response to the human body as we move further into the age of new technologies.  Trying to figure out who we are and what we are about is a distinctly human pursuit for almost everyone, whether you are trying to find greater consciousness or simply fitting in.  Even while living in the digital age I choose to communicate through portraiture; combining current trends and old traditions in art. 

As I noticed my own participation of self representation on social media, I looked at the selfie trend and the way people have become engaged in exploiting their experiences and modify identity.  The “selfie,” is a self-portrait taken via android phone and instantly shared in social media. Turning to twitter I search for fellow Latinos and followed conversations around similarly lived experiences felt by Latinos.  My concerns, my experiences, likes and dislikes are also lived by others. I quickly learned that social media was more than just keeping in touch with friends, it is a platform to give voices and make connections.  Although it may be accessible to the masses, I wondered of its permanence.  In my opinion we need to slow down in order to be more empathetic to each other.

#Iamhere

A current popular trend is the "selfie," a self-portrait taken by the viewer of themselves with their cell phone and quickly shared on social media. A painted portrait, like the selfie, wants to be noticed because a part of us wants to be valued, appreciated, and included in the groups that matter to us.

For the past 6 months I have been collecting selfies from friends, families, and strangers on Facebook and twitter. In contrast to the instant satisfaction of taking multiple photos and uploading them, I approach the painted selfie portrait in order to slow down the gaze. 

#bikeMS #selfie #unselfie #4myMom

The new look for my #selfie art project framed in iPhone cases and glass tops.

Art Aesthetics of a Selfie

What I am is what I am. No ambiguity. 

below: Selfie painted by Nayda A. Cuevas

Can this be what the selfie trend presents?

The selfie is a quick self portrait created with a smart phone camera and immediately distributed into social media. It becomes an instant communication of what I am doing where I am, who I think I am and who is watching.

As an artist the selfie trend contains aspect I am interested in.  Artists have used themselves as subjects to be displayed and create self portraits for many reasons; Like…

1. we are all always there on time and can sit for long periods of time
2. we also like to show off our skills in painting
3. we need to reveal something inner to the outside world in the most vivid way we know how

 portrait below: Alice Neel

 below: Chuck Close self portrait

Once the painted portrait is complete we make it public. Similarly to the selfie, a painted portraits primary purpose is to be seen now, by other people, and most of them strangers.  Selfies are seen in social networks and so is art, but art is also viewed in art galleries and Museums.  The difference in theses space/environments is its prestige. There is a perceived notion of power and beauty that exudes from portraiture because they are understood to serve a special purpose and will become public

Can I as an artist, take your approved selfie uploaded onto social network seen by all and give it additional light and prestige by painting your portrait and bringing it into an art context?

I paint people because I am drawn to features, body language, and forms of expression. A selfie is carefully articulated vision of who we choose to be on any given day and moment. It is the ultimate representation of the way we want the world to see us now.  

The definition and purpose of art is constantly transforming. Merging old traditions in art and modern trend keeps art contemporary.

What can your selfie aspire to be?

Notes taken from: New York Magazine, Feb 3, 2014 and Newsweek.com 10/17/2013

Just read Richard Brilliant, Portraiture. Reading these different views shed a light into the human psyche and in popular culture. As I move forward with my portraits I have many things to consider. Most importantly “subject”. Being clear that a selfies is not considered a work of art and that it is a current popular trend, I would like to address its insignificance and impermanence by painting them.  I will address the initial judgment of the portrait by painting them as realistically as I can and thus creating a recognizable portrait painting.  The issue of how the sitter is portrayed as been initially addressed because the subject has selected how they wish to represent themselves. What is left for me is time to remove myself from this fast paced world of images and create a lasting permanent image in history.  I in turn make the selfie a work of art to be admired and remove it from the vast hole of images in the web. I become free in my self indulgent and necessary act to paint and remove myself from the world to create a portrait with the intention to signal an individual’s presence in life.  I believe we all want to be noticed, because a part of us wants to be approved by our peers, family and or society, otherwise the selfie would not be a trend. I do think we, as a person or artist, need a viewer to exist.

After painting sooo small for a couple of weeks I was itching to paint another large portrait. I kept it simple raw white canvas. It was really freeing and I find my 2 year old model amazingly beautiful!