Arnulf Rainer

 

Arnulf Rainer's artwork stood out to me because it is very unorthodox what he does to his self portraits. First, he takes photos of himself that are not the typical "flattering" way of taking a portrait. Then, to add to this, he adds drawings or paint onto of his photos, which almost distorts his identity and the way the viewer views him. These photos evoke a very strong uncomfortable reaction, but it is this ability to invoke such strong emotions that makes these photographs so moving. The distortion of the face is really intriguing to me, because it questions the subjects identity by their looks and may represent how the person feels when other people perceive them. 

All of his photographs seem to be initially shot in black and white, maybe toned with sepia, but he then goes overtop of these photographs with colorful paints. He uses a lot of yellow and blue. These colors feel very gloomy and sad. This along with the abstraction of the photos gives a similar feeling to Van Gogh, which may have been an inspiration for Rainer. Occasionally, Rainer will add in other colors, which makes the photos feel more lively and playful. 

The photo above makes me think of how your looks does not necessarily define you or how people perceive you, because anyone can paint their own image onto you, completely distorting the way you are seen, but this does not inherently change who you are, just the way individuals may perceive you. The very serious and distraught facial expressions mixed with the playful and abstract paintings on top provide a sense of madness, or it may represent the child that we all have inside of us no matter what happens to us on the outside. In the photo below, the man almost seems to be trapped or tied down by these playful paintings, maybe representing his inability to escape from his past.