Melissa Hubert
Artist Statement
The Self Portrait is a cautionary animation about the influential power of vanity in social media and the sacrifice of self that unconsciously occurs while innocently conforming to the changing trends of often unrealistic self portraits that create the social media experience. The cost of participating as a cog in the attention machine is not obvious until our visual sense of self and self-judgement is distorted as we gaze at our unfiltered and ‘irl’ selves. As our brains adapt to spotting obvious photoshop manipulation and body modifications, the use of digital editing and non-invasive beauty procedures has become more popular as our lives become more centered in a 2.0 reality. While we search for what our brains trust as real or attainable, the more advanced the technology and subtle the procedure, the easier it is for our brain to compare our physical selves to seemingly natural perfection.
The value (clout) of a person is correlated to how one participates with the attention machine; It is normal to start the day with immediate consumption of digitally manipulated self portraits through social media as part of the morning breakfast routine. In the current state, isolation keeps people indoors, away from other people and looking deeper at ourselves and the reflection that stares back at the screen. Comparing a natural and unstaged photo to a constant feed of curated perfection can harm our mental health where even small use of filters can be the catalyst to various degrees of dysmorphia.
In this piece the viewer follows a simple non-descript character through their first daily interactions with the world through social media greeted by the many self portraits that gaze back - their confidence and empowerment inspiring to someone feeling stuck at home. In times of COVID19, these faces that stare back through the screen are the few faces we will see in our day now that our daily commute takes place within the home. The constant exposure to perfected appearances through a screen and not face-to-face sets a standard for how we see ourselves in real life. This sense of worth dictates how we move and alter ourselves to conform to the social interaction that dictates the age old sense of value and desirability within society.
Artist Bio
Melissa Hubert is a multimedia visual artist and musician working and living in Vancouver, BC. Often mixing a variety of analog and digital mediums, Melissa’s work encompasses a strong emphasis on the visual connection in combination with music. Working with coding and design, Melissa previously focused on creating interactive web experiences that combine music, album art and lyrics to create a digital album experience meant to replicate the physical experience of exploring a vinyl sleeve. Currently, Melissa is focused on video work and exploring unconventional methods of digital animation using recycled art, trash, organic materials to create a feeling of ‘supernatural awe’ within a digital landscape. When not creating for the visual realm, Melissa is a flutist, vocalist and electronic musician.