I am more than my face:), 2010 by Mitsuko Nagone
As many of you might have heard, the most expensive photograph in the world is currently a self-portrait. Cindy Sherman's Untitled 96, a conceptual portrait of herself from 1981, recently sold for $3.89 million at a Christie's auction in New York. Though best known for photographing herself in a range of makeup and costumes, Ms. Sherman has famously said that she didn't consider her photographs as self-portraits, as she never saw herself in them and she felt anonymous in her work. On the contrary, Contender Mitsuko Nagone's self-portraits are all about herself.
As the most identifiable feature on the human body, the face is usually a key part of any portrait work. Yet in Nagone's I Am More Than My Face:) series, every photograph is faceless. Nagone hopes to take a fresh look at how we define ourselves, and how we identify other people, by eliminating the face:
With this project, I intend to create myself, instead of finding my identity. People often ask themselves, "Who am I?" However, this may take them away from the truth. The definition of who they are could limit their own possibilities and the infinity of their essences. I believe that the self should be created, instead of being found. The self-portraits explore this idea, since the face is obscured. The human face seems to emphasize "who" a person is and gives insight about the individual. This may misinform the audience. I would like to challenge the viewers' misconceptions and stereotypes.
I am more than my face:), 2010 by Mitsuko Nagone
Nagone sets both head and heart aside in her exploration of these "essences."
It was Jacques Lacan who shook the world with his theories on human emotional development, including what he referred to as "the mirror stage." In his seminal essay "Some Reflections on the Ego," he wrote:
"The mirror stage is a phenomenon to which I assign a twofold value. In the first place, it has historical value as it marks a decisive turning-point in the mental development of the child. In the second place, it typifies an essential libidinal relationship with the body image."
According to Lacan, this moment of recognition often comes before the baby's body is fully coordinated, thus leading to a "fragmented" self-image. In seeing his/her own face, the child becomes utterly confused and so by seeing his or herself, actually becomes alienated from his or herself. Whew!
I am more than my face:), 2010 by Mitsuko Nagone
Nagone's work plays off of Lacan's theory, hiding the human face in order to seek truth and wholeness. What results from the process, however, is a series of images that appear more confusing and fragmented to the viewer than would a standard portrait. In the second image, the manner in which she has positioned both her sweatshirt and her body trick the eye. At first look, it is difficult to tell whether she is facing the right or the left. The human form (missing face aside) looks disfigured, but it is unclear as to why.
Nagone's images are at once playful and challenging—as fellow humans we seek recognition; we want, need to see her face, but over and over again she obscures it from our view.
Additional writing by Qian Ma