Top image: Andy Warhol, Self-Portrait with Platinum Bouffant Wig, 1981. Polaroid photograph © The Andy Warhol Foundation

Titled, Facing the World | Self Portraits Rembrandt to Ai Weiwei, a new exhibition at The Scottish National Portrait Gallery explores the matter of the self, tracing 6 centuries of self-portraiture with an array of eminent artists.

Whether you’re an avid selfie patron or an analytical selfie sceptic, it is undeniable that the advancements and accessibility of technology have aided the masses with the ability to create, capture and share pretty much whatever we like. It seems throughout our divergent culture that what a lot of us like, is to publicly self-reflect, egotistically self-promote and to create art, often using ourselves as our own muse, through the infectious phenomenon that is the selfie.

This idea of turning to the self as an inspirational source is by no means a new one, artists have been depicting themselves across various mediums for numerous grounds, may it be a political statement, phycological examination or the basic rationale, utilising the most reliable and accessible subject, oneself.

An in-depth study of self-portrait evolution, the exhibition showcases the shadowy self depictions of Rembrandt, the provocative images of Robert Mapplethorpe, the brutally realistic photography of Sarah Lucas, the striking self imitations of Andy Warhol, the tense self-directed films of Marina Abramović and the characterful Instagram images by Ai Weiwei.

Comprising of five parts, each concisely grouping creator/subject relationships and patterns. One of which, ‘Up close and personal’ showcases intimate self reflecting works, birthed from the idea that the period of sophisticated self portraiture primarily stemmed from the renaissance (earlier in some cases) and considers the ancient Greek proverb “know thy self.” Perhaps this is a notion deeply ingrained into society, an incredibly humanistic act that fulfils our need for self-acknowledgement, self-expression and to build our own self-esteem, an act that is only in it’s infancy with our new found intellectual and technological progressions, where will it take us?

Facing the World | Self Portraits Rembrandt to Ai Weiwei runs from 16th July to 16th October at The Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

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