Table and chair by Annette Koehnen
When artists have nothing else to paint, they can always paint their own portrait. Is that really why artists paint themselves? A good portrait reveals more (or less) than a snapshot. But should tell you something specific. It is not accidental. People like work by artists with an easy-to-recognise style. It is like looking through the artist’s eyes.
But do you ever look at a chair or cupboard and ask yourself what the maker was thinking? It was probably more than just – where can I put these books? It did not just get made by accident. They are sometimes self-portraits too, look carefully and perhaps you will be able to see the world through the maker’s eyes.