Self-Portrait (No.16) 1982

Ivan Albright made this self-portrait with paint, sometime around 1982, and what strikes me is the honesty in his handling of the material. Just look at those assertive brushstrokes – thick with blues, fleshy pinks and yellows, they seem to map the terrain of a face that has lived and aged, and felt deeply. I imagine Albright standing before the mirror, scrutinizing his reflection, and thinking about his own mortality. Each stroke feels like a deliberate act of observation, a way of fixing himself in time, confronting his own image and the changes he sees there. I love the way the paint becomes this record of looking, a testament to his unique vision. It reminds me of other artists who have fearlessly explored the self-portrait, like Paula Modersohn-Becker or Alice Neel, digging deep into their own psyches. Painting is a conversation, it’s an exchange, a dialogue across time, inspiring creativity and self-reflection.