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Douglas Gordon — Self Portrait of You + Me (Spencer Tracy)
Douglas Gordon

Self Portrait of You + Me (Spencer Tracy)

The remnants of a burnt photograph of Hollywood actor Spencer Tracy are mounted against mirrored glass, causing the viewer's own reflection to merge with the deteriorating image of the star. Gordon's act of controlled destruction transforms the celebrity portrait into something fragile and spectral, blurring the boundaries between icon and observer. The artist's frame further implicates the viewer, turning an act of erasure into an unsettling meditation on identity, desire, and the consuming nature of fame.

Medium
burnt photograph, mirrored glass, in artist's frame
Location
Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT

🔨 Auction Lot

Contemporary Art Day Sale

October 15, 2015

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About this work

Douglas Gordon, Self Portrait of You + Me (Spencer Tracy)

The remnants of a burnt photograph of Hollywood actor Spencer Tracy are mounted against mirrored glass, causing the viewer's own reflection to merge with the deteriorating image of the star. Gordon's act of controlled destruction transforms the celebrity portrait into something fragile and spectral, blurring the boundaries between icon and observer. The artist's frame further implicates the viewer, turning an act of erasure into an unsettling meditation on identity, desire, and the consuming nature of fame.

Medium
burnt photograph, mirrored glass, in artist's frame
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Burnt Medium, Photography, Mirrored Glass, Male Artist, Conceptual Art, Scottish Artist, Contemporary Artist, Appropriation Art, Celebrity Culture, Introspective Mood, Portrait, Monochromatic, Self-Portrait, Reflective Surface, Burnt Photograph

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