Self-Portrait, Marnixbad, Amsterdam, Netherlands, June 19, 1991 Possibly 1991 - 1999

Rineke Dijkstra took this self-portrait at the Marnixbad in Amsterdam on June 19, 1991. It's a photograph, but the composition and pose feel painterly, you know? Like a Hopper painting, or maybe even a stripped-down Renaissance portrait. Dijkstra's work always feels like it's about that in-between space, that moment of vulnerability and self-awareness. Look at the way the cool, institutional tile work contrasts with the artist's flushed skin and slightly awkward pose. The photograph almost has a melancholic atmosphere. The lighting is so flat and even, there is a clinical quality to the photograph. But, if you look closely, you will notice small details, the slight water droplets on her skin, and the shadows in her eyes, which humanize the image. She reminds me of Gillian Carnegie, who also captures a raw and intimate portrayal of the self. It makes you think about the relationship between self-representation and the stories we tell ourselves.