Contemporary photography through social media like Instagram or Facebook facilitated the popularization of self-portrait. I think it is interesting how this space also made possible the democratization of a public space permitting the expression of ideas, thoughts, and attitudes.
In Renan Maciel’s self-portraits, we can observe the diversity of aesthetic choices that the photographer uses, from his preoccupation with clothes to his interest in accessories and objects. This set of visual items communicate with each other in a space where digital synapses substitute physical links.
Our multilayered personality is expressed through language, in an effort to establish contact with our interlocutors of choice and the broader society. In this respect, the photographer is an agent who, through his sensitivity, has access to the “essence” of his subjects and seeks the best ways to “capture” it as part of the creative process. Few photographers use this space to actively promote their viewpoint, while most prefer to remain in the backstage.
Renan Maciel, both a photographer and a model, is in the privileged position to have access to two different perspectives. This enriches his creative process and offers him the possibility to present more complex and diverse viewpoints beyond the traditional position of the photographer.
His self-portraits reflect their aesthetic, historical and regional context, but also offer hindsight to a fictional field, using as instruments objects of everyday life, is an invitation to a more extended reflection where nothing is evident.
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