Self portraits tend to record a moment, less than a second in the case of photography, but only marginally longer in traditional art media. Yet the idea of ‘becoming’ might be useful in considering self portraiture. Movement and change, reflected in the individual as development and aging, is difficult to summarise visually. For many artists, looking to the future is appealing, but is leavened by the recognition that this moment – the present – is forever lost. The idea of existing somewhere between entropy and transcendence is at the heart of the 2015 National Self-Portrait Prize. The $50,000 invitation-only, acquisitive prize is held by The University of Queensland every two years. The winning work is selected by an independent judge of national stature.
Curator: Michael Desmond
Artists
Khadim Ali • Jacqueline Bradley • Jon Cattapan • Bindi Cole • Michael Cook • Janet Dawson • eX de Medici • Julia deVille • Emily Hunt • Fiona Foley • Julie Gough • Guan Wei • Marie Hagerty • Nicholas Harding • Anna Hoyle • Lindy Lee • James Lieutenant • Hilarie Mais • Fiona McMonagle • Dan Moynihan • John Nixon • Patricia Piccinini • Andrew Sayers • Tanya Schultz • Pamela See • Tyza Stewart • Christian Thompson • Kensuke Todo • Philip Wolfhagen • Judith Wright
Image: Fiona McMonagle – Winner 2015 Prize
