Photography is a way to capture a valuable, or important moments in our lives, moments that you would want to look at and replay those scenarios to remember it. In a way, selfies serve the same purpose. For example, just like a regular photograph, a selfie is a photo of a person taken by the same person, having themselves as its focus, to capture a moment that they’re living in. As stated in the article, the role that selfies play in the modern world is a mask for the subject to wear to reflect a certain lifestyle or look that society expects of them. When someone takes a selfie, they’ll have to look a certain way to impress the viewer. Selfies are nothing but a photo of a moment, it is simple, and does not leave a room for any interpretations. Therefore in my opinion, a selfie should not be considered an art form.
Cindy Sherman however reversed the role that selfies play. While everyone is trying to polish themselves when they’re preparing to take a photo of themselves by themselves, Ms. Sherman used her artistic endeavor, and creative liberties to turn selfies as an art form by transforming her photos into surreal looking images, that not only impresses the viewer but also provoke a reaction from them. Her photos reflect not only a moment or lifestyle, but also fantasy and imagination. She plays with colors, distortion, skin textures etc. to edit her once normal photo and make it more expressive. Depending on what her scenario may be, Ms. Sherman’s selfies can also leave room for interpretation. It is so unique and different for instance, instead of trying look perfect, she went for the opposite. Even though a selfie itself isn’t art, it can be if done right with the right intentions. The fact that Cindy Sherman managed to “use her own face as a canvas” to exemplify what a selfie can do as art, and reverse the expectations of others in the social media world is truly a remarkable feat, and in my opinion, this way of thinking is something that all photographers or artists should incorporate into their own art.
