Exhibition examines the art of the '˜selfie'

More than 25 self-portraits by UK-based artists, including Sarah Lucas's Self Portrait With Banana (pictured above) will go on display at Yorkshire Sculpture Park next month.
Sarah Lucas's, Eating a Banana (1990), from Self-Portraits 1990-98. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © the artist 2018.Sarah Lucas's, Eating a Banana (1990), from Self-Portraits 1990-98. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © the artist 2018.
Sarah Lucas's, Eating a Banana (1990), from Self-Portraits 1990-98. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © the artist 2018.

The Arts Council Collection’s new national touring exhibition, In My Shoes, opens at Longside Gallery on March 30 and also features Tracey Emin, Gillian Wearing, Jananne Al-Ani and Grayson Perry.

Encompassing a range of media including film, photography and sculpture, In My Shoes offers an impressive survey of dynamic contemporary approaches to self-portraiture, all made since the 1990s, presenting major works from the Arts Council Collection alongside key loans from other UK collections.

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The exhibition also seeks to reflect the widespread interest in self-expression that extends beyond the confines of the art world. The rise of the ‘selfie’ in contemporary culture and the construction of digital identities through social media provide a pertinent cultural context.

Jill Constantine, Director of Arts Council Collection said: “This timely exhibition steps away from conventional self-portraiture to show us how artists explore their own identities, whether real or imagined, and offers us an insight into what fires their creativity.

“Some of the results are disturbing, playful or poignant - but this exhibition captures the breadth of the imagination and the vitality of the work being produced by artists in this country today.”

Picture credit: Sarah Lucas’s, Eating a Banana (1990), from Self-Portraits 1990-98. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © the artist 2018.