Identidade e alteridade na construção do autorretrato: quando o outro é convocado para figurar na superfície especular

Abstract

This work intends to, firstly, conceptualize self-portrait (as sub-genre of portrait), highlighting its main particularities and functions; following, define the part that constitutes major object of the research: a kind of specific auto-reflexive image in which the author evokes theother´s inner self to compose his own self-image; On a third moment it is found and commented in a timely manner some works done on a distant historical moments from ours, as a mean to announce a strategy very recurrent in self-portrait produced nowadays. Among the works of contemporary artists presented in this dissertation, two of them are investigated thoroughly: 'self-portraits' produced by Cindy Sherman and this author. One of the main issues raised refers to the fact that this practice ultimately results in images that reflect much more the social context than the author's own individuality; what problematizes theuse of the term 'self-portrait' to designate this type of work.