5 March

I’m going to oppose my preconceived notions of the acceptable length of a blog post and keep this one nice and short (relatively). There lies something interesting – an attribute of myself so definitive: I epitomise oxymorons.

‘Zact’ 1: I speak in oxymorons

Now onto the Media 1 practical workshop. After discussion on the two different models of cognitive modes, Dan delved into a topic that was not entirely unknown to me, however, I have not given it much thought: self-portraits. What is a self-portrait? Could a daily Selfie can embody the wholeness of a self-portrait? No; and yes. I have come to the conclusion that the dedication and determination of the self-portrait is where this wholeness lies. I have recently come across a Youtube project video by Diana Scheunemann where she undertook a 15-year daily Selfie project beginning in 1999 (the term ‘Selfie’ not turned viral until 2012). This is where the opposition to the Selfie as a model of self-portrait becomes sparse. As seen in Scheunemann’s project, the self-portrait journey she undertook was personal, emotional and unreserved. And now to my point. Yes, there is a point. A self-portrait needs to be an illustration of one’s self – explicit or allusive – whereby the effort exhausted into creating it juxtaposes the minimal exertion of the Media society’s opinion on the famous ‘Selfie’. Scheunemann’s journey, whilst depicted through thousands of Selfies, is clearly an insightful self-portrait on her own growth and change – both physical and emotional.

During the practical workshop, we also set up our personal blogs (of which I am posting on now). This task was the inspiration for the noun ending the post’s title: perplexity. There were elevated stress and confusion during this task, birthing an aura of perplexity that was pervasive throughout the space. I could physically feel this perplexity. This idea that a collective emotion can be physically sensed has inspired several of my ideas for my own self-portrait. I am looking forward to sharing my self-portrait within the coming weeks. Whilst apprehensive of its personal nature, I am excited to share parts of myself otherwise concealed.