'All work is autobiographical, so, that’s why I decided to just paint myself, instead of trying to come up with all kinds of wonderful ways to show myself.' Rudolf Stingel
In this commanding self-portrait, Rudolf Stingel renders his own likeness with meticulous, almost photorealistic precision in oil on canvas, stripping away artistic pretense to confront the viewer with an unflinching directness. The work embodies Stingel's belief that all creative output is inherently personal, making the act of literal self-portraiture a radical gesture of honesty and transparency. By choosing his own face as subject matter, Stingel collapses the distance between artist and artwork, turning the canvas into a mirror of both identity and process.
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Spotted At
- Auction House · Phillips
🔨 Auction Lot
Contemporary Art Evening Sale
June 27, 2013
More by Rudolf Stingel
styrofoam, 4 panels
“Zen is about acceptance, right?” Mr. Stingel said. “So that’s the way it is. I do sit and look at him sometimes — we have a meaningful relationship. You can’t get over it. You just live with it.” - Rudolph Stingel
The radicalness of Stingel’s Cellotex panels is often underestimated. While rejecting any suggestion of being a social, political or conceptual gesture, these works may be some of the most open and brave moments in recent contemporary art production. As with his provocative instruction book on how to make his paintings, Stingel once again gives himself and his work, in their totality, to the public and the viewer. He invites the viewer inside the surface of his work, and allows anyone to make a 'contribution' to it. The critical voice of the viewer becomes part of the work. Like magnetic tape, the artist records the viewer’s reaction to his work – not simply verbally, but physically.
Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion