Chelsea, New York: Viridian Artists gallery is happy to present “Self Reflections/#mirrorselfies”, an exhibition of new works by artist David Fitzgerald. The show opens Tuesday, May 20th and runs through Saturday, June 14th with an opening reception Thursday, May 22nd from 6 to 8pm. A closing reception will be held at the gallery Saturday, June 14th between the hours of 4 and 6pm.
“@gracieabrams”, gouache on inkjet photo, 17”x22” 2024
Self-Reflections/#mirrorselfies is David Fitzgerald's second show at Viridian Gallery. Inspired by the ubiquitous selfie, especially as posted online, Fitzgerald takes selfies of his own, pulls others from Instagram, then paints and draws on the original image, enhancing and subverting it. In part his work refers to the male gaze and how women are viewed by men. But it also highlights how the selfie allows women to take back ownership of the way their images are being used. Many of the women in these selfies are famous--actresses, singers, and others who want clicks and “likes” because it will further their careers. Many of the images are also created by any woman who wants to control her bodily narrative and take over how it’s seen by the world. At its most basic, of course, that's what selfies are: a way of putting yourself on view for an audience, saying this is me, I'm here doing this cool thing, look at me, I'm important!
“self_selfie #3”, gouache on ink jet photo, 17”x22”, 2025
Yet for Fitzgerald, the original selfie is only the beginning. By drawing and painting on the photo, he goes beyond the basic to change an immediate image into something more lasting and more intriguing. It is no longer a mere selfie, posted along with countless others, to be looked at, admired, perhaps lusted over, and then forgotten. His artistic work transforms, allowing the viewer to see the imperfections, the vulnerability, as well as the beauty of the image. Painting with gouache and using a bold palette, he reinvents the selfie’s photographic origin. Born in mundane surroundings like bathrooms or wherever a mirror is available, they become painterly, offering a new range of aesthetic even as the viewer is always aware that this is a person making a depiction of themselves in real time. You may know who this person is, or you may not, and Fitzgerald himself appears within the group, and through this series in the resources of visual art, the selfie has been elevated into a work that outlasts the ten seconds of Instagram fame and is made into something more enduring.