Self-Portrait 1987

This is a self-portrait by Nelson Shanks, and just look at that gaze, so direct! I wonder what it’s like to sit in front of yourself, trying to capture your own likeness? He’s got that worn denim jacket on, the kind that says, "I'm here to work." The browns and blues are so warm and inviting, yet the cool greys in the background, make the space feel like a working environment, somewhere he can knuckle down. It looks like oil on canvas, and you can almost smell the linseed oil and turpentine wafting from the painting. I can imagine him stepping back from the canvas, squinting, making tiny adjustments, a little more shadow here, a bit more light there. The way he’s holding those brushes, it's like he's ready to pounce, to make his mark, to bring himself to life on that canvas. Shanks had such a command of paint, and the way he shows himself seeing himself – well, what could be more human?