Existing comment:
Copper Self-Portrait with Dog
Susan Hauptman, 1947-2015
For Susan Hauptman, the exploration of selfhood was a long-term artistic quest. Like so many of her self-portrayals, Copper Self-Portrait with Dog appears purposefully disjointed. The hyperrealism of the dog and the mid-twentieth-century skirt and hat contrast with the folk-naive rendering of the feet and the mismatched proportions. Juxtaposing the ultra-feminine ruffles and flowers with a masculine, nearly hairless head creates a disturbing disparity. The whimsical costume, with its canine "accessory," appears comical at first glance, but the confronta- tional pose and serious expression deny laughter. Even Hauptman's beautiful, meticulous technique stands in stark contrast to rougher, seemingly unfinished portions of the drawing. While Hauptman questions gender stereotypes and draws upon self-portrait traditions of dressing up and masquerading, she does not do so to impersonate others or to reinvent the self. The constant pairing and contrasting seems instead to be an exploration of dualities within herself that coexist with creative tension.
2001 |