Notice Board

Selfies

January 9 – February 6, 2015
Helen Christou Gallery
Curated by Josephine Mills and David Smith

Selfies explores the much maligned social media phenomenon through art works from the U of L Art Collection.

The “selfie” posted to social media has become ubiquitous and much maligned as a sign that young people today are too self-focused, without being introspective; yet, as British cartoonist Jamie McKelvie posted to Twitter, no one complained when wealthy white men hired artists to paint their portraits. This exhibition explores classic and contemporary self-representation and invites viewers to add to the discussion by taking selfies in the gallery. Selfies features work from the U of L Art Collection that covers that covers a spectrum of approaches to the self-portrait: traditional, abstract and conceptual. As well, new work by an emerging Halifax artist, Angela Glanzmann, explores the use of imagery within social media forms and a local duo, the Cedar Tavern Singers, will create a project for this exhibition. Dr. Kristine Alexander, a professor in the U of L History Department, will select letters, diaries and other self-representational forms popular in the early 20th Century to provide a context for the current perspective.

Visitors will be encouraged to take “museum selfies” and post to social media throughout the exhibition and undergraduate students in the Art History/Museum Studies program have contributed exhibition labels. As well, the U of L Art Gallery will invite artists to be Social Media Artists-In-Residence and create engagement via our social media platforms. The exhibition includes work by Iain Baxter&, Carl Beam, Dianne Bos, Ambrose McEvoy, Edward Steichen, Jin-me Yoon, and many others.