Self-Portrait I 1972

Editor: So this is Francis Bacon’s "Self-Portrait I" from 1972, done in oil paint. There's a real rawness to it – almost like the paint is barely clinging to the canvas. What's your take on this piece? Curator: Well, let's consider the material circumstances. Bacon's process was famously chaotic. He attacked the canvas, manipulating the oil paint in ways that defied traditional techniques. He built up and scraped away layers, enacting a kind of violence on the very material of art. This aggressive handling mirrors the anxieties of the Cold War period, wouldn’t you say? Editor: I see that, the dark background definitely amplifies a sense of unease! But it feels very personal. Do you think that this type of material manipulation and distortion common in Bacon's painting is primarily to convey emotions? Curator: Partly, yes, but more profoundly it speaks to the inherent instability of representation. Oil paint, traditionally a medium for capturing likeness, is here used to dismantle and reconstruct the human form. This raises a critical question: what does it mean to represent identity in a world defined by constant change and conflict? How does his labor reflect this? Editor: I never thought about it in that way. Seeing the materiality of the paint as this unstable ground, that’s… powerful. So it's about reflecting on what surrounds Bacon. Curator: Exactly. He shows the very limitations of the means of producing art – in the face of this fractured modern identity. The consumption of this painting becomes almost unsettling as one sees the deconstruction of traditional modes of making art. What do you make of it now? Editor: I realize I was thinking of this work too much in a vacuum. Thinking about Bacon wrestling with these heavy materials to portray identity really enriches the whole experience. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: Of course! And, that approach might change your viewing of works in the future, always thinking of production processes.