Self-Portrait in Profile with Hat c. 1986s

Editor: This is Saul Steinberg's "Self-Portrait in Profile with Hat," probably from the 1980s. It’s an ink drawing, and it really strikes me as humorous, almost like a cartoon. What's your take on it? Curator: Indeed. It’s more than just humorous; it's a coded visual commentary. Notice how Steinberg distorts conventional portraiture. The profile is flattened, almost diagrammatic. How do you think this stylistic choice impacts the viewer? Editor: Well, it makes it feel less about capturing his actual likeness and more about representing a type of character. It feels like he is mocking the art form a little bit. Curator: Precisely. The reduction to lines and angles could be seen as a deconstruction of the very idea of "self." Look at the hat, the star... what kind of archetypes do these objects evoke for you? Are they just props, or do they have deeper resonances? Editor: The hat is like a classic 'bad guy' or outlaw, right? And the star implies law enforcement... a sheriff maybe? It’s like he's playing with familiar visual language, almost like he's mocking stereotypes. Curator: Yes! Steinberg is deeply concerned with how we visually construct our identities. He employs satire to highlight how these identities are essentially performed, using costumes and symbols we readily understand. Editor: That's fascinating. So, it's less about who he *is* and more about how we *read* him based on these symbols? Curator: Exactly. This drawing isn’t just a self-portrait, it’s an inquiry into the nature of representation itself. Visual languages can become costumes we choose, or have thrust upon us. Food for thought! Editor: I’ll definitely think about this differently from now on.