Wonder Women X
Selfie: Us and Them


“I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best” -Frida Kahlo

Two hundred years after the invention of photography, digital technologies have given a ubiquitous and omnipresent power to the image of self that has altered our identity and our relationship to the image of ourselves indefinitely. Throughout any survey of art history one must recognize the self portrait of the artist. Artists choosing the subject of self and exploring through self expression, self knowledge and exhibition; in the creation of self image an identity they choose to share. It is in this seeming vulnerabili...ty and performance that artists have given themselves to the audience and created moments where we can glimpse their relationship to themselves. It is in choosing how one presents the self that we can deduce among many things: social, political, creative and introspective analysis the artist presents in the work. In the age of the selfie and the amateur the self portrait gains a new identity, arguably juvenile and unimportant and yet enormously powerful. In the tenth edition of Wonder Women we will explore the image of self in a world newly frot with millions of daily images of self. Reflecting and looking to the history of artists’ self portraiture we will also critique and understand our own modern relationships to self image, the #selfie, and image making as identity and brand.

Artists selected for the residency will explore contemporary writing and art historical and traditional themes of self portraiture combined with the new social and political trends of the digital #selfie and social media identity. Selfie: Us and Them will address issues related to identity, economy, technology and community. We are especially interested in digital media and technological explorations of this topic. Every Sunday, beginning September 4th through October 9th, accepted applicants will meet as a group at _gaia studio to discuss current social issues and topics brought forth by participants. There will be a potluck lunch each Sunday with group discussion and critique of works in progress. All accepted applicants must commit to all Sunday meetings (see schedule below). The program ends with a group exhibition opening October 21, 2016.