The Psychology of Narcissism: An image in and of itself possesses meaning, an intrinsic symbolism, a semiotic nature, an embedded narrative. In the case of the “image of the artist” and accompanying myth, the personal narrative often functions as the art itself or at the very least, as the foundation for which one derives all meaning. The “myth” therefore becomes the point of entry to understanding a piece of art; the production is already positioned as secondary to the producer him/herself and his/her respective image-myth. This exhibition explores the Psychology of Narcissism through a collection of re-branding, appropriation, and self-portrait exercises and self-referential installations. The work is not intended to target “the artist” but rather the institutions and media that are responsible for the dissemination and propagation of these myths and branding campaigns. The displayed processes attempt to draw the aforementioned institutionalized practices into question therefore serving as a formal inquiry into the systems, politics, and cultures rooted in artmaking.
Watch a video: Excerpt from Freud's On Narcissism |
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