Self portrait 1902

Curator: Here we have Giacomo Balla’s "Self-Portrait," painted in 1902. It’s an oil on canvas, currently in a private collection. Editor: He looks a bit blurry, doesn’t he? Like a memory half-faded or a photograph taken just slightly out of focus. Gives him this air of wistful introspection. Curator: I find the materiality fascinating. Note the visible brushstrokes, almost impasto in their application. It draws attention to the labour involved, and positions Balla not just as a subject, but as a craftsman engaged with his materials. It certainly disrupts any illusionistic tendencies! Editor: Right? He’s kind of disappearing into the texture of the painting itself. All those reddish-brown strokes, almost like he's being consumed by the earth, or emerging from it! I like the limited palette – how the colors melt into one another, almost vibrates! The man looking at himself through rose colored glasses! Curator: Precisely! And we must also remember Balla's later association with Futurism. Even here, early in his career, we see that interest in breaking down form, hinting at the dynamism that would later characterize his more avant-garde works. This "Self-Portrait" lays bare the mechanics, the labor, by which a representation, especially a self-representation, is built. Editor: It's true; those strokes suggest movement. Is this how Balla pictured himself? Perhaps even in 1902, the man already felt the pull of the future, just itching to get a move on? And to depict a picture that is "realer than real." I find it compelling and honest – both very down to earth, if you consider all the Futurism hype. Curator: It’s fascinating to see those seeds being sown so early. A compelling image with layers that point to production and its own making in context. Editor: I like how his expression seems to shift depending on where you stand; it keeps me searching for his hidden intention, as Balla peers out, through paint, at us!