I recently discovered a contemporary photographer who created a series of compelling self portrait images; Laura Hofstadter: “Stages” In the spirit of conceptual photographers like Cindy Sherman and Yasumasa Morimura, Hofstadter constructs self portraits, inserting herself into the characters replicating their pose iconic masterworks by Western painters.
She created and constructed this series in her mid-sixties; her age and health challenges (she had breast cancer whose treatment disfigured her body), loss and aging are interwoven in her black and white self portraits. Each self-portrait is a re-creation infused with new touches by the artist so that the end result is both recognizable and also “purely me.” Hofstadter says, “Although this series is about coming to terms with different stages of life, loss, and aging, the images are conceived with humor and playfulness.” As a viewer, I am confronted by “preconceptions about youth, age, beauty, and body image.” Powerful!
Laura believes that “the older we get, the more invisible we become to the society.” With this project of recreating famous art pieces she not only wanted to have fun, but also to prove that there are no age limits for art. I am currently working on a podcast episode centered on aging and the portrait and pleased to share the ways Hofstadter through her re-constructions of the masters, looks at aging in the context of Western art. Check out Laura’s work at her website: http://laurahofstadter.com