GLENDALE, CA.- “Persona: Exploring Self-Portraiture” premiered at the Forest Lawn Museum on April 26, 2025. It features the work of more than 20 contemporary artists as well as historical self-portraits, spanning over 125 years. The exhibition probes the expanses of self-portraiture and examines the concept of visual representations of the self. “Persona” features paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints, fused glass, digital art, textile art, illustrations, and more.
While the phenomenon of taking “selfies” is ubiquitous in the 21st century, the practice dates back more than 150 years. Nearly two dozen works from the Sedlik Collection of early self-portrait photography provide a glimpse into the human condition during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Made by professional and amateur photographers throughout the world, these remarkable images offer glimpses into artistic explorations, self-memorialization, and early photographic technology.
Self-portraiture was an important element of 20th-century avant-garde art. “Persona” features work by Man Ray (1890-1976), who was an influential figure in both the Dada and Surrealist movements, and Andy Warhol (1928-1987), who was among the most prolific and iconic artists in the pop art movement. Throughout their long and varied careers, both artists experimented with ideas of self-perception and self-presentation, which influenced subsequent generations of artists.
An entire gallery is devoted to self-portraits of contemporary artists working in an array of styles and formats and expressing the multifarious aspects of self. These range from Christen Austin’s series of imaginative and introspective paintings to Bryan Ida’s politically-charged ink on panel image, rendered in hand-written text taken directly from the Immigration Act of 1924, which excluded all Asians from immigration in the United States.
“Persona” features three paintings by artist, actor, comedian, and musician Tom Wilson, who depicted himself as the fictional characters he portrayed in the Back to the Future film trilogy. Over the past 40 years Wilson has become a pop culture icon, and these paintings utilize the visual language of pop art to explore ideas of fame, identity, and commodification.
The largest body of work comes from photographer Ramona Rosales. Known for her innovative celebrity portraits, Rosales is fascinated by color and light experimentation, often using unorthodox analog and digital tools to make her images. “Persona” features 18 photographs from her “75 Days” series, which she undertook during the COVID-19 lockdown. What began as a personal challenge to test techniques she would typically execute with her team evolved into a self-portrait series. Using herself as a model and only what she had on hand at home, she created an exploratory series that stands as a personal document of a momentous time.
The exhibition also includes the work of Alison Blickle, Brad Donenfeld, Shivy Galtere, Andy Gersh, Patrick Hruby, Janna Ireland, Maren H. Jensen, Jordan Kay, Ruthy Kim, Michelle Kingdom, Huntz Liu, Eric Merrell, Elizabeth Pollnow, Narcissus Quagliata, Semra Sevin, Christopher Slatoff, Jawsh Smyth, and Mika Yokota.
“With a self-portrait, an artist presents a tactile depiction of the self directly to the viewer, forging an intimate and personal connection. Yet these artworks go beyond traditional self-reflection,” said James Fishburne, PhD, Director of Forest Lawn Museum. “Whether through their use of unorthodox materials or by way of distorted imagery, the artists subvert the very notion of depicting the physical self in favor of presenting the inner self.”
