Holly Burton

Self-portraiture can be an opportunity for performance to camera and photographic self-portraiture to intersect. I find myself often choosing to perform in front of the camera, using gestures, facial expression, wardrobe and props to aid the portrayal of a character, but I would still say that I am a self-portrait photographer, as I am not performing specifically for the camera. Instead, I am staging a different identity, and making an image from it. If we refer to artists such as Cindy Sherman, it could be argued that while Sherman performs various identity constructs to the camera through her series untitled film stills (1977-80), they are still self-portraits. In this sense, self-portraiture might be seen as a way of staging or performing an identity dissimilar from your own, and creating images that are viewed both as performances to camera and photographic self-portraits.
While performance to camera and self-portraiture may overlap, there are instances where they differ completely. For example, self-portraiture can intersect with performance to camera, but the same may not necessarily be said for performance. There are moments when I shoot self portraits where I just want to document myself as I am in the present, rather than stage a concept I have created for the sake of image making. Self-portraiture gives me a choice as to whether or not I perform. In contrast, performance to camera doesn’t necessarily allow you that choice. The key word here is ‘performance’, which might suggest performance to camera is not the place for authenticity, but a place for expressing yourself in an alternative way for the camera to broadcast.

Additionally, self-portraiture is more rigid in the sense that you are typically posing in front of a camera, whereas in performances, you usually have to move and use your entire body to embody your idea. However, self-portraiture still gives me the option as to whether or not I wish to capture movement or use my body via various shutter speeds. Ultimately, Self-portraiture gives me more control over the final outcome, as opposed to performance to camera in which you cannot edit a live performance. For artists, the idea of how much control they have over the finished product is perhaps the difference as to whether they specialise in one over the other.

Overall, there are perhaps varying degrees of performance which would differentiate what constitutes constructing an identity for a self-portrait, and what is deemed a staged performance live to camera for an audience. I would propose that it is down to the artist to decide where their work fits on that scale. The boundary between self-portraiture and performance to camera is fluid yet strong. While self-portraiture might sometimes be seen as a performance to camera, it is unlikely that a performance could be deemed a self portrait due to varying factors such as use of body, the level of self-representation and how much control you have over the finished piece. The conflict between having control over your final artwork and giving yourself the freedom to explore limitations is an age-old discussion, but I find that photographic self-portraiture allows myself as a photographer to find a compromise between the two. The boundaries of self-portraiture are broader than that of performance to camera, giving artists an exciting opportunity to push and explore the boundary between self-portraiture and performance and how the two coexist.

My self portrait ‘maroon’ was an opportunity to stage a new light set-up and colour scheme. Sticking to a monochrome theme gave the lighting an opportunity to stand out, resulting in the below image. I aimed to create a moody atmosphere, thus performed moody facial expressions to compliment the tone of the lighting and set up. As this is a self-portrait, if I didn’t like the outcome of the lighting experiment, or something went wrong, I didn’t have to share it with an audience. If I was broadcasting the set up and the process of image making to the camera, I wouldn’t have necessarily had the control over whether or not an audience views the work. Self-portraits in this sense, give me more confidence to explore away from my comfort zone, knowing that I have complete control over the final portrait, and knowing I have the choice as to when and where I share my work.