Self-Portrait Jumping 1974

Brion Gysin's "Self-Portrait Jumping" combines photography and ink to create a dynamic image. Gysin was drawn to unconventional methods, repurposing techniques from commercial design and ancient crafts, and this piece reflects that experimental approach. The self-portrait, a seemingly straightforward photographic image, is set within an expressive, dripped grid of ink. Notice how the fluid nature of the ink contrasts with the rigidity of the grid, and the captured moment of the photograph. The artist's hand is evident in the deliberate, yet spontaneous application of the ink. This suggests an interest in chance, a concept Gysin explored in his automatic poems and other works. He embraced unexpected results, blurring the line between intention and accident. It’s an intriguing tension: the grid implies order, but the drips assert the unruly nature of the material. The image can be better understood by observing the ways in which the physical properties and processes of the artwork’s making play a critical role in creating its meaning.