Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8
Barbara AstmanSelf-Portrait1978
1978
$38,750
£29,584.58
€33,884.70
CA$54,288.58
A$60,701.27
CHF 31,840.35
MX$735,238.12
NOK 401,921.82
SEK 379,719.01
DKK 252,915.73
About the Item
Barbara Astman (b. 1950) is a celebrated contemporary Canadian artist, best known for her innovative work using photography and its many utilitarian offshoots such as scanners and photocopiers to mention a few.
Astman is acclaimed for her pioneering multi-media approach, blending analog and digital techniques with materials or technology not typically used in the creation of fine art. In her work she addresses the intersection of identity, feminism, technology, consumerism, and media influence.
The artist's oeuvre is characterized by narrative presentations, offered via everyday objects and settings in order to share her experiences and memories. This approach enables Astman to transcend the material nature of the objects/materials, imbuing them with layers of meaning.
In the early 1970s, Astman came to photography by chance when she borrowed a camera to document a sculpture. Astman took self-portraits with the leftover film, capturing intimate moments realized in her studio.
Years later, the Polaroid became a foundational tool in her work. She purchased her first Polaroid in 1978, and embraced it wholeheartedly going forward. Its instantaneous nature enabled Astman to access her inner world, often depicting herself organically in an act of self-discovery. Astman is one of several photographers, like Nan Goldin, who turned the camera on themselves (and their circle) during the 1970's.
This work is a paradigm of Astman's practice from the late 70s where she created Polaroid grids of her contemporaries and added text to the margins, and sometimes surfaces of the images.
Here a traditional typewriter both embosses and prints self-descriptive text enlivening the portraits it surrounds. The interplay of text and image raises the question of the spectator's role in defining Astman's assumed identity - an intriguing consideration, especially years later, at the height of social media engagement.
Astman is a well-known and accomplished professor in Canada. She joined the faculty of OCAD in 1975 and retired as Professor Emerita in 2021. Her work is featured in prominent collections across the globe, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery (Ottawa), the Bibliotheque Nationale (Paris, France), and the Victoria and Albert Museum (London, England).
Questions about the product? Contact us.
Or visit our Toronto gallery on Thursdays or by appointment.
"Untitled" (aka "Self-Portrait")
1978
Six Polaroids with typed inscription
Mounted on paper
Signed and dated on Verso
7.75"H 10.5"W (work)
11"H 13.5"W (framed)
Very good condition
- Creator:Barbara Astman (1978, Canadian)
- Creation Year:1978
- Dimensions:Height: 7.75 in (19.69 cm)Width: 10.5 in (26.67 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Very good condition.
- Gallery Location:Toronto, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: 03-241stDibs: LU215214063312
About the Seller
4.8
Vetted Professional Seller
Every seller passes strict standards for authenticity and reliability
Established in 2009
1stDibs seller since 2015
195 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 3 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Toronto, Canada
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllMirabelle
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Barbara Astman (b. 1950) is a celebrated contemporary Canadian artist, best known for her innovative work using photography and its many utilitarian offshoots such as scanners and ph...
Category
1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Polaroid
Nancy
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Barbara Astman (b. 1950) is a celebrated contemporary Canadian artist, best known for her innovative work using photography and its many utilitarian offshoots such as scanners and ph...
Category
1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Polaroid
$22,500
Electra
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Barbara Astman (b. 1950) is a celebrated contemporary Canadian artist, best known for her innovative work using photography and its many utilitarian offshoots such as scanners and ph...
Category
1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Polaroid
$22,500
Miss Denim
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Barbara Astman (b. 1950) is a celebrated contemporary Canadian artist, best known for her innovative work using photography and its many utilitarian offshoots such as scanners and ph...
Category
1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Polaroid
For F From F
By General Idea
Located in Toronto, Ontario
In 1967, General Idea was founded in Toronto by AA Bronson (b. 1946), Felix Partz (1945-1994), and Jorge Zontal (1944-1994). Over the course of 25 years, they made a significant cont...
Category
1970s Conceptual Nude Photography
Materials
Polaroid
Alex
By Attila Richard Lukacs
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Attila Richard Lukacs (b. 1962) is one of Canada's most distinctive if not revolutionary Canadian figurative painters.
Lukacs established his reputation in the 1980s by creating astonishing large-scale paintings that depicted skinheads, construction workers, and other masculine archetypes in elaborate and erotic scenes.
The physical presence of the Lukacs' male subjects stands out as one of the artist's most distinctive aesthetic elements. With meticulous attention to form and proportions, Lukacs skillfully renders his young men with expressive brushwork and an intense, moody palette reminiscent of the old masters.
Despite the monumental scale of his canvases, Lukacs begins his creative process with a much more intimate and modern day tool: the Polaroid.
Because of its immediacy and simplicity it became an essential part of his process in the 80's and 90's. As a result the artist amassed a trove of over 1,200 Polaroids that depict lovers, friends, and anonymous models in a various poses that serve as a starting point for his paintings.
In this grid of Polaroids, "Alex" is a young man posing nude on top of a tarp. The exceptional warmth and rich hues infuse this series of 12 Polaroids with a sensual and painterly quality, a characteristic that is undoubtably present throughout the artist's oeuvre.
From 2009-2012 a large touring exhibition devoted to Lukacs' Polaroids was shown at several museums across Canada including Museum London and the Art Gallery of Alberta. Working with Michael Morris...
Category
1980s Contemporary Nude Photography
Materials
Polaroid
You May Also Like
Self Portrait
By Farah Marie Velten
Located in Hudson, NY
CURRENT EXHIBITION - runs through September 10th, 2017. Any framed photographs purchased during the show will be available then. If the exhibition piece is sold or the customer order...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Color Photography
Materials
Archival Paper
Sarah
By Daniel Handal
Located in New York, NY
Archival pigment print, painted frame (Edition of 4 + 1 AP)
Signed and numbered, verso
This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City.
Price includes mounting and ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
$3,000
Untitled, Portrait of a Woman
By Michael Andreas Russ
Located in San Francisco, CA
This photograph "untitled, Portrait of a Woman" c.1980 is an original gelatin silver print by famous German/American photographer and artist Michael Andreas Russ, born 1945. It is in...
Category
Late 20th Century Other Art Style Portrait Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Janet Massomian
By Mark Morrisroe
Located in New York, NY
Vintage chromogenic print (negative sandwich) retouched with ink
(Edition of 12)
Estate stamp in black ink, verso
20 x 16 inches, sheet
18 x 12 inches, image
This artwork is offere...
Category
1980s Other Art Style Nude Photography
Materials
C Print
Price Upon Request
Autoportrait, Surrealist Photograph by Diana Michener
Located in Long Island City, NY
Diana Michener, American (1940 - ) - Autoportrait, Medium: Photograph on thin wove paper, Image Size: 20 x 22 inches, Frame Size: 27.25 x 29.25 inches
Category
Late 20th Century Surrealist Portrait Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Untitled #3
By Anna Minnick
Located in Kansas City, MO
Materials : Hand Cut Paper
Date : 2016
Dimensions : 12" x 2" x 11"
COA provided
Anna Minnick's work explores the struggles of identity and mental illness. She hopes her work forms a...
Category
2010s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
Price Upon Request
More Ways To Browse
Andre Leon Talley Vintage
Bob Miller
Greta Garbo Estate
Jimi Hendrix Guitar
Bass Drum
Dita Von Teese
Dita Von
Newport Jazz Festival
George Benedict
Blues Vintage Guitars
Jack Smile
Monterey Pop Festival
Victorian Photo Album
Batman Photography
Douglas Fairbanks
Vintage Fairground Signs
W P Henderson
Covarrubias Miguel