Vivian Maier

Francesca Woodman

I personally was drawn to these portraits due to their departure from what would normally be thought of as a self-portrait. Neither clearly shows the face of the subject (usually the focus of a piece like this), and instead uses the objects and visuals around to convey the emotion and personality of each of them. The double exposure of Vivian Maier’s portrait only shows her silhouette with the images around and within her, demonstrating her tendency of endlessly capturing the world around her. In Francesca Woodman’s portrait, the lack of a face and usage of a mirror represent the lack of identity, with the mirror’s clever usage as covering not reflecting herself, but facing outwards. Each results in an unconventional take on a self-portrait while still capturing the personality and essence of each.