I Am My Art

I-Am-My-Art is a postmodern art movement that took root in the 20th century and continues to advance presently. An innovative combination of neo-expressionism and conceptual self portraits, the I-Am-My-Art movement is intended to show a representation of an artist literally at one with his or her work, blurring the line between art and artist. During a piece about photographer Peter Bastianell-Kerze writer Mike Reed suggests that I-Am-My-Art "could be trying to communicate that art and life are so seamlessly intertwined that any attempt to separate them would be futile." Prominent artists who have made lasting contributions to the movement include Yayoi Kusama, Tracey Emin, Cindy Sherman, Henri Cartier-Bresson, James Van Der Zee, Georgina Starr, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Younger artists who began their careers in the 21st century and are making notable strides in the movement include photographer Ashley Huizenga, digital artist Shannon McElroy, and conceptual artist Sona Mirzaei the latter of whom has an ongoing series entitled “I am My Art”, a project that has been well received. Surrealist painter Nicki Piliero also has a multi-part "I am my art" series.
LA Weekly writer Seven McDonald interviewed artist photographer Ashley Huizenga in May 2007 in an article entitled "Dancing in Tropical Snow" and when asked to describe her art work, Huizenga, somewhat struggling to find the right words to express herself, replied, "It...is...almost...like me...I am my art."
According to writer and blogger James Killick's 18 March 2010 blogpost entitled "Stay Cool, Stay Unpublished" it's commonly thought that 'Tracey Emin , "I am my art"' Blogger Katy's 19 January 2008 post about Emin concurs that Emin's art is all about Emin asking her readers, "What do you think that work by Tracey Emin is about?" She goes on to write "the answer is invariably: ‘It’s about Tracey Emin.’...With Tracey, you’re on pretty firm ground with the whole: ‘I am my art. My art is me.’ tack." Upon the release of the book "The Art of Tracey Emin" by Chris Townsend and Mandy Mercke, numerous online comments make references to the idea that Emin is indeed her art. One reviewer of the book wrote, "It provides a comprehensive, intelligent and interesting critique of her work, the artist and lucidly articulates Emin's artistic strategy - I am my art."
Select examples of I-Am-My-Art works include Tracey Emin’s “I’ve Got It All” , Henri Cartier-Bresson's "Untitled Self Portrait" , Jean-Michel Basquiat with "Untitled/Erkon", Ashley Huizenga's "Untitled/Self Portrait" , and Cindy Sherman’s “Untitled #276” .
Related Quotes
Writer Darrin Hagen is quoted in See Magazine as saying "My art is me and I am my art." Canadian artist Jeanette Tossounian is quoted as saying, "I am my art and I am my gallery".. California based digital artist Shannon McElroy says that she can "truly say that I am my art and my art is me." In a February 2010 interview with artist illustrator Wynn Ryder, Ryder is quoted as saying "You could say I am my art and vice versa." . When describing her approach to her work Mexican-American figurative artist Carmen R. Sonnes is also quoted as saying "I am my art and my art is me." Artist Tim Ernst believes that the artwork and the artist are inseparable saying "I am my art and my art is me...We are one." Texas photographer and self portrait artist Selva Solimar is quoted as saying "I am my art...and I am a work in progress." Graffiti artist Daniel Louis Rivas is quoted as saying "I am my art, unrestricted, unfiltered, uncompromising." Fiber artist Linda Rae Coughlin is quoted as saying "If you want to know who I am, just look, I am my 'Art' and what I create with my hands. American poet and lyricist Ronnie Lee Daise uses the lines "Consumed by creative thoughts/I am my art" from the poem and song collection "The Artist's War". The I-Am-My-Art movement has even extended to the hip hop community with emerging artists such as being quoted using the phrase "I am my art" to describe his work.

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