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

Rineke Dijkstra made this photograph in a swimming pool in Amsterdam. She places herself in a sterile institutional setting, a woman in swimwear. I can imagine what it might have been like to stand there, vulnerable and exposed, under those fluorescent lights. It's easy to see the shower heads right there, which suggests the possibility of cleansing but also vulnerability, like you are under surveillance. What I find interesting is how Dijkstra uses the camera to explore the awkwardness and vulnerability of her own presence. It's almost like she's inviting us to see her as she sees herself, flaws and all. The photograph is not just a depiction of a woman in swimwear; it's a study of the human condition. It's about the way we present ourselves to the world. Dijkstra’s images remind me a little of what Philip Guston was always talking about - how painters are always talking to other painters, across time.