A SHORT HISTORY OF SELF-REPRESENTATION
A SHORT HISTORY OF SELF-REPRESENTATION IN DIGITAL ART
by TINA SAUERLANDER
ABSTRACT
This article examines the lesser-known history of artistic self-representation in digital art, from the beginning of computer art to the present day. The genre has thematic as well as formal diversity: it is a product of artists
working with electronic devices such as video synthesizers or digitizers, webcams, digital image and video editing tools, the internet, avatars, and social media platforms. Artistic self-representation in computer-based and digital art has been an underrepresented topic in art history and must be more closely studied in order to be integrated into the art historical canon. This article aims to give an overview of artistic self-representation in digital art from early computer art until today.
KEYWORDS
Digital art, contemporary art, contemporary visual culture, media art, portrait, social media content, self-representation.
Download the archived pdf here: Tina-Sauerlander
Alphabetical list of mentioned artists dealing with artistic self-representation
Marina Abramovic, LaTurbo Avedon, Gazira Babeli, Jeremy Bailey, Jonas Blume, Arvida Byström, Patrice Caire, Petra Cortright, Renee Cox, Maya Ben David, Kate Durbin, Petko Dourmana, Constant Dullaart, Echo Can Luo, Rah Eleh, Carla Gannis, Laurence Gartel, Mohsen Hazrati, Lynn Hershman-Leeson, Ann Hirsch, Georges Jacotey, Humberto Jardón, Andy Kassier, Martin Kohout, Sonia Landy-Sheridan, Erica Lapadat-Janzen, Tina LaPorta, Matthieu Laurette, Rollin Leonard, Olia Lialina, Patrick Lichty, Gretta Louw, Eva and Franco Mattes, Bjørn Melhus, Martina Menegon, Mariko Mori, Shana Moulton, Martine Neddam (Mouchette), Marisa Olson, ORLAN, Sondra Perry, Signe Pierce, Tabita Rezaire, Doug Rosman, Rafael Rozendaal, RaFia Santana, Jacolby Satterwhite, Leah Schrager, Lillian Schwartz, Jill Scott, Shu Lea Cheang, Molly Soda, Theo Triantafyllidis, Joan Truckenbrod, Amalia Ulman, Ana Voog, Andy Warhol, Pola Weiss, Eva Wohlgemuth, Lu Yang