Self-Portrait 2020

Editor: We’re looking at Gazmend Freitag’s "Self-Portrait" from 2020, an acrylic painting. It strikes me as a really raw and honest depiction. What catches your eye? Curator: It's compelling to consider the means of production here. The visible brushstrokes, the layering of acrylic paint – it’s about labor. Think of the artist's hand, the repetitive act of applying paint. Does the green background amplify a sense of industrial color, the flat and even production of modern life? Editor: That's an interesting idea. I was just thinking of the color as a backdrop. Are you saying that Freitag is making a commentary on how industrial production influences us? Curator: Possibly. What does the subject’s gaze tell us about the artist's engagement with their own materiality, the corporeal reality they inhabit? Is it a detached observation, a self-assessment under the scrutinizing eye of production? Consider how readily available and accessible acrylic paint is. What happens to portraiture when anyone can make it, and in the safety of their own house or atelier? Editor: I hadn't really considered how the material itself impacts the work's meaning. I was just thinking about the emotion the painting evokes. Curator: Exactly! And where does that emotion come from? Consider the consumption of self-image in our digital age. Could the choice of medium and its application be a response to the fleeting, manufactured realities of online profiles? Perhaps he's challenging the mass consumption of idealized images by presenting a tactile, grounded representation of self. Editor: So, Freitag’s process is not just about creating a likeness, but about critiquing our relationship to image production. I never thought about the accessibility of the materials having an impact on portraiture. Curator: Right! Seeing art through its material reality offers a whole new layer of meaning. Editor: Definitely gives me a lot to think about regarding portraiture!