Zelfportret 1989 nr. 53 1989

Editor: Here we have Philip Akkerman's "Self-Portrait 1989 No. 53," made with acrylic paint. It has a kind of ghostly, almost monochromatic feel. What stands out to you about this work? Curator: Well, let's consider the acrylic. The synthetic nature of acrylic paint places it firmly within the realm of industrialized production. Akkerman's repeated self-portraiture becomes an act of mass production in itself. Does the seemingly endless repetition somehow comment on the commodification of identity? Editor: That's an interesting idea, that the repetitive process almost mimics industrial production. So you see his choice of acrylic paint and the act of self-portraiture as intertwined with ideas about labor and mass culture? Curator: Precisely. The material and the method are inseparable from the message. Think about the labor involved – the artist becoming a kind of factory, churning out versions of himself. It forces us to reconsider the perceived preciousness of a unique 'masterpiece.' The repetitive mark making is an overt element in this piece. The making becomes something outside of virtuosity, and perhaps commentary on that, too. Editor: It definitely challenges the idea of the artist as a purely creative, individual genius. So, would you say that Akkerman’s focus on the process and materials deconstructs traditional notions about the self-portrait as a window into the soul? Curator: Absolutely. It shifts the focus from the internal to the external – from the 'soul' to the physical act of painting and the material conditions that enable it. Editor: I never thought about self-portraiture in terms of production and materiality. It really shifts my understanding of the artist's intention. Curator: And hopefully helps to see how much material, processes, and actions tell stories, not just "likenesses" or "inner visions."