Picturing the Self e-bog

Ideas of selfhood, from Descartes' theory of "e;I think therefore I am"e; to postmodern notions of the fragmented and de-centred self, have been crucial to the visual arts. Gen Doy explores this relationship, from Holbein's "e;Ambassadors"e; and the early modern period up to and beyond Marc Quinn's "e;Self"e; (Blood Head). Arguing that the importance of subjectivity for art goes far beyond self-portraits, she explores such topics as self-expression; the self, work and consumption; self-presentation; photography and the theatre of the self; the marginalized - beggars and asylum seekers - and "e;the real me"e;. A wide range of artists, including Tracey Emin, Jeff Wall, Eugene Palmer and Karen Knorr, are discussed, as well as historical material from earlier periods.