I would take this opportunity to outline the intentions behind my forthcoming engagement with dA and any future submissions that I make as a studying and practicing artist.

This paricular artist statement (if you would like to acknowledge it as one) is very much a working progress, perhaps more of an open discussion with the people who end up reading or commenting upon it. I plan to update and manipulate the content of this journal entry throughout the next few months before revising a suitable version for my degree show in June.

The responses I’ve had to both my work and a recent online presentation on the Digital Self-Portrait - [link] - has really encouraged me to look harder at the structure of dA; the terms such as watcher, favourite or journal that it uses, the type of behaviour or activity these induce and also the categorisation the service supplies in order to identify submissions. By doing so, I would like to accentuate the medium in which millions of people entrust to portray and circulate their work and bring it into the foreground for immediate appraisal. This should encourage more dA users to differentiate their own input into this web service and its online community from what dA appears to facilitate from them, by approaching the physical structure and etiquette it seemingly imposes.

For those that are familiar with my online gallery, you will know that I work a lot with the self-portrait. My fascination into this subject has been intensified by the popular use of the s.p in contemporary online culture and particularly social-networking services. There are many issues that my self-portraits raise within their critique; gender being one of the most obvious one. But I do believe that one image is doing something very different for me and this is encouraging a practical re-focus of my artistic activity – particularly here on dA where the majority of my creativity congregates.

For me, Identity Enclave (below) accurately illustrates any potential re-focus in my practice. This online photograph uses the medium of the internet and the web service of dA in order to depict them both as its subject in relationship to human interaction. I am not proposing that my work will continue to involve the self, nor am I refuting this either. Instead, I would propose that the work that I will be producing will use the internet as the vehicle for its dissemination whilst reflecting upon it as the subject at the same time.

The opportunity to subvert the intentions, structure and policies of dA is not something I intend to do out of rebellion against the web service. In fact, on the contrary, I would promote it as a sign of creative thinking. I have been using dA now for over a year and I have had a great time showing my work to such a diverse audience. I have seen some truly amazing work here and frequently had thought-provoking discussions with many of the users within this community.

There are millions of individuals that use dA and it would be slightly inappropriate of me to generalise and speculate on how or why they use this service. However, I would like to suggest that my approach could distance myself from other users in comparison to our intentions and equally the content of work that we both submit. I don’t know what the outcome of this may be... particularly from an environment that encourages the formation of networks; grouping individual accounts together in the same space – especially if distancing, somewhat ironically, occurs through my work and within this realm.


Kind Regards


Protean Self

I have been tagged by the talented
I am required to detail 10 things about my self for the dA public to read

1. I moved to Brighton, England in 2005
2. I won a significant some of money on the National Lottery when I was 19
3. I appeared as an extra in the series Lost
4. I have had my hair permed
5. My all time favourite book would either be Pride and Prejudice or Moby Dick
6. I currently have swine flu and a nose that is consistently bleeds
7. I have 3 projects of which I'd like publicise to the dA community very soon
8. I don't use baths but prefer showers
9. This is my second dA account for reasons I do not wish to communicate
10. I consider self to be fluent and malleable - depending on context of portrayal


Rules:
1. Post these rules on your Journal.
2. Each tagged person must write 10 things about themselves.
3. At the end, you have to choose and put up ten people that you want to tag, and put them up in your journal.
4. Go to their page and say "I tagged you!"
5. Have fun!


Protean Self

WEBCAM (YOUTUBE) [link]

I wanted to express my thanks to all those that have engaged with my text concerning the digital self-portrait over the last two weeks. I had my q&a session with my tutors and peers yesterday and some interesting points and issues came up.

I will be promoting this presentation for two more weeks - after this I will be documenting and submitting it as part of my university degree. I would like to suggest to my peers that if they get a spare 10mins within this time-frame, that they would follow up some of the comments made in the q&a and post them up here so that both the dA users and myself can respond to it as well.

I thought in a years time I would update this presentation, reflecting on the changes in my opinion of the topic, perhaps a re-focus in the subject (reflecting through my practice) and also showing awareness to any cultural and technological changes that have developed in Western society in this time.

Kind Regards,

Thankyou for being supportive... If you havn't seen the presentation, please take a look, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts?

Protean Self

p.s - for all those who would like to know more details of the q&a and particularly my reaction, then please feel free to note me and I will duely reply!

WEBCAM (YOUTUBE) [link]

Good evening ladies and gentleman – I hope you are all well and having a good time?

Next week, Wednesday 4th November, I will be doing my Interim Presentation for my University Degree. Just for your information; the presentation ‘comprises a display of current work, in which you refer to theoretical, critical and historical contexts by means of written text’ (student handbook).

As a self-portraitist I have been fascinated by the impact that new technologies have had on the medium and my consequent engagement with the self-portrait in both an offline and online contexts. Since joining dA about a year ago this website quickly became the hub for both my practice and my research. In light of this, I have composed a short written piece for my presentation and uploaded onto dA as of today – a week before I’m due to be presenting this to the course leaders and fellow students.

By pitching the text out in the context of what it is actually questioning, I am hoping to open out my thoughts upon the plight of the digital self-portrait (the deviantID or the profile picture) and its impact on personal relationships and social communication with a pro-active online community, of whom are actively involved with the self-portrait in such a dynamic and excessive way.

It would mean an awful lot to me if some of you could take the time out of your day to engage with the texts and let me know what you think. My view is that the comments (if of course I get any) would prove just as an important as the body of text that I have composed; providing a more democratic outlook on a social activity that we are all engaging with. The things I have uploaded are only the starting point for this discussion - any conclusions that develop in my eyes can only really come from the reaction an online community has with it.

The folder in which this discussion has been formed consists of written texts, photos, posters, diagrams and drawings. The text part of this has been split down into five sections with subheadings relating to its specific content. Each component comes with active hyperlinks at the bottom referring to the sources in which I have used. I don't it has to be read in a linear way either; from a start to a finish, I think one can read it in any order and respond to it in just the same way.

Thanks for taking the time to read this - please consider reading and commenting on my presentation?

Protean Self

This extract was composed by

I'm sure many users out there have used the term myspace photo in discussions concerning self-portraiture - I would like to know what it might actually represent? Where has it come from, how does it come to represent some self-portraits and not others, and equally where does this leave self-portraiture in its most immediate steps into the 21st Century?

*Please feel free to comment upon this and help create an accurate definition of the term*


MYSPACE PHOTO

This is the term I use because it's the most memorable, however it doesn't mean that the photo itself would just be found on myspace, could even be facebook, twitter, or any other kind of " Personal profile " website, from normal (facebook) to dating/adult (Such as gaydar or match.com as they usually include semi-naked to fully naked photos of a person)This can take on many different categories (Again, I use these as illustrative purposes to explain my theory)

Normal - The person's face
Provocative - Woman in a very small top or bikini.bra, or topless male for example)
Adult - Nude or just in underwear
Erotic - Person is usually nude and either posed or performing a rude, provocative or extreme act of sexual persuasion


NORMAL

It doesn't necessarily have to be of the persons face or just of them self, it can include their friend or even a pet. But is most likely taken by them self without the use of another person to hold the camera. They could either hold it them self or stand it on something. The overall picture can vary on quality, due to the camera itself or the lighting that they have used.The camera itself is 80% always held at an angle, and the person will normally be looking into the camera itself or obviously off in another direction. They do not normally look natural, as it is obviously staged and the person is posing for the camera. Their facial expression could be various but is usually either serious/unemotional or smiling.In itself this is photography, but is not considered Artistic as there has been no professional preparation that has gone into the image itself, such as - Set up professional lighting from specific angle, the photo has been taken by someone else, and the film and camera itself that is used is taken into consideration.

The photo is purely used to show off ones self, a profile picture of sorts. No technical skill, technique or research has been needed to go into the image itself and therefore is very much like an instant camera.
Take out your phone, point it at yourself, maybe check if you're next to a light or window, pull a face and a pose, hold it at an angle and then take a photo, then look at it. Have you done anything else to what I have just said? Was it difficult? Did you need to study or spend months of technique learning to do it?

No - Art in itself is a contradiction, sometimes people take years to finish one piece, and others do it in seconds. A man can paint a solid blue circle one a huge canvas, put it in a gallery and call it a piece of Art, and instantly it is, because he called it so. Yet, why is that? It's because he thought about it. There is a boundary between calling something Art. Taking a photo such as the one I described could very well be put onto an art website and called a piece of art ... but is it?

No - It's a profile photo. Because you could take millions of them from as many angles or from as many lighting types and it would still be the same subject and still a mugshot. It would not change its meaning or its image. However, take another person to hold the camera, set up a proper source of lighting, place the subject in a place where the background is important and will make as much impact on the image as possible, and then take the photo (Could even use the same camera) and voila ... it's no long a myspace photo. It's thought out, takes time. If I was to hold the camera and take a photo of my friend in a pose while they sit at their desk at Uni then it's still not a piece of Art. It's just a photo, because I haven't taken time to light it myself or place it somewhere the light will impact on it, or think of the background. But it's no longer a myspace photo as it's no longer a profile photo. If i was to zoom in on their face, then it's a profile photo.


PROVOCATIVE

SAME AS PREVIOUS ONE

PLUS : The subject will most likely be posing in a suggestive way, pulling what is deemed as a sexual facial expression or an expression of lust, for example. Also, they could be showing off a part of their body, such as their chest.

This doesn't have to just be of their head and shoulders though.

A man can stand in front of the mirror, take a photo of him holding up his shirt, and it's a myspace photo because it's there to show off what they deem as being a sexual part of their body and is attractive. Yet the same applies, there has been no thought in the image other than - "Taking a photo in the mirror of my abs to show them off, but make sure you can see it in the photo so stand next to a light"





ADULT

SAME AS PREVIOUS TWO

PLUS : The person has usually got their top off or is posing for the camera in a provocative way. Again, purely for the insight of looking as best as they can, or maybe not bothered. Could be just in their underwear or not dressed at all. In the case of being nude, it is not tasteful, as is simply a photo of a naked person. Not a photo where the person has been lit and time has gone in to make the person look as good as possible, from their pose to what is behind them. I have seen photos of morbidly obese women completely naked, yet the photos themselves were joyous and beautiful to look at as the poses and lighting and setting of the images had all been put together and thought out to make the image dramatic. Use your camera and take a quick photo of your fat friend standing naked in their bedroom, it's not tasteful.





EROTIC

SAME AS PREVIOUS THREE

PLUS : The person will be in a very provocative pose or a close up of a certain bodily part.





Obviously there are some leeways in each category, as the examples I used were just to explain my theory. For example, a bad example in the Erotic category could be of a girl sitting on her bed, with a closeup of her face and breasts.

Adam Neil Callaby (Graphic Design Degree student at Norwich University College of the Arts, England)