'I' in narrative: a study on contemporary visual autobiography using photography as a significant medium in multimedia installation

• Main Author: Lee, Soo Jin
• Other Authors: Marc Gloede
• Format: Thesis-Doctor of Philosophy
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Visual arts and music::Media; Visual arts and music::Visual arts
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/168736
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This dissertation investigates autobiographical artistic practice in contemporary visual arts, which is closely related to, but distinct from, the self-portrait. The thesis proposes the genre of visual autobiography to capture the distinct field of autobiographical artistic practice and aims to clarify its terms. To examine the practice of visual autobiography more closely, the thesis conducts case studies on three artists who use photography as a significant medium in multimedia installation: Christian Boltanski, Felix González-Torres, and Barbara Proschak. In this thesis, I consider ‘narrative of self’ as an essential feature of visual autobiography, as the significance of autobiography lies in the act of finding one’s self and weaving it into the narrative. A significant research hypothesis regarding this is that mortality functions as an underlying driver of autobiographical acts. Among various visual media, the thesis pays particular attention to photography, since its realistic representation paradoxically contributed to the diversification of artist’s self-representation. Furthermore, the ontological referentiality of photography relates to the discourse of autobiography and the hypothesis of mortality in unique and significant ways. The thesis combines phenomenology and case studies as research methodology and follows the tradition of Bildwissenschaft. By applying phenomenology and Bildwissenschaft, the thesis will be able to reveal various layers and meanings of images and elucidate a complex relationship between the visual autobiographer and the recipient that revolves around images. The dissertation consists of two parts: the theoretical framework and case studies. It first examines essential notions for understanding the autobiographical phenomenon, such as self, identity, and narrative. Next, it investigates the domain of visual autobiography based on the contextualization of the developments of two relevant fields of self-portrait and autobiography. In addition to this, it elucidates the significant role of photography in the development of the self-referential artistic field. Based on these analyses, the thesis proposes the following four traits as the hallmark of visual autobiography: (1) negotiation of self; (2) complexity of themes; (3) multimodality and multimediality; (4) holistic artistic practice throughout life. Following this, the thesis presents case studies on three visual autobiographers, Boltanski, González-Torres, and Proschak. Proschak contemplates her being and the connection and disconnection to others and the world by working on her skin and body. Boltanski’s artistic practice revolves around time, remembrance, and death. González-Torres’s works are strongly linked to his sexual identity and loss of being. The three artists vary in gender, nationality, generation, and in their themes. These artists have been selected by considering the established philosophical positioning associated with the self, narrative, and mortality, as well as the use of photography in installation-oriented execution. As their themes and negotiation of self vary, the three case studies complement each other and illustrate the multifaceted practice of visual autobiography. Visual autobiography serves as a mirror to reflect ourselves. The three artists’ autobiographical narratives create empathetic spaces for viewers, leading them to contemplate the self. The aesthetics of their visual autobiographies are distinctive. They derive from death and mortality; however, they paradoxically affirm life.