Reaction to “Self Portrait(s) [as Other(s)]”

My initial reaction upon seeing “Self Portrait(s) [as Other(s)]” has utter confusion. Yes, utter confusion. I say this because this idea of taking an artist’s biography piece by piece and mixing it up with other artists of a different period and randomizing it. This type of art reminds me of a musical mashup; the unlikely pairing of different sounds. While cut-up biographies may seem like artwork, it’s funny how some of these “biographies” turned out. For instance, Vincent Cezanne’s biography states his origins began with “a shady uncle who was affiliated with the Flemish Picture Cartel.” I laugh; who would have thought such things exist? This rewiring of art history progresses with each click. The dates seem to be more surreal, as the author transitions from postmodernism to impressionism to baroque all at once. Out goes factuality and in goes surrealism in Memmott’s work.