October 1 self-portraits

I draw a broad distinction between self-portraits intended to function as monuments, as statements about who the artist is, by golly, and those which are more in the nature of  self-exploration. It’s the difference between a declaration and an inquiry. The first category can be more productive of laughs—

but the second is more fascinating. I’ve done very few self-portraits, I suppose because I always find the subject too profound and elusive for decisive formulation.