Self-Portrait 1935

This is William H. Johnson’s “Self-Portrait,” a linocut print on paper. The composition reveals a face marked by deep lines and strong color contrasts. Johnson’s approach to form here is deliberately simplified and abstract, reducing the self-portrait to essential shapes and bold colors, a characteristic of his later, more primitivist style. Each line and plane feels deliberate, almost structural, in its contribution to the overall image. We can see the artist's face composed of various irregular patches, delineated by thick, dark lines. These shapes don't attempt a realistic depiction but rather capture the essence of his features, fracturing the traditional, fixed representation of the self. Johnson destabilizes conventional notions of portraiture, using abstraction to explore deeper questions of identity and representation. The overall effect isn't just a rendering of a face but an investigation into how identity can be constructed and deconstructed through artistic form. This invites us to question our assumptions about representation and to consider how art can challenge fixed meanings.