Self Portrait

Self Portrait

Work created in 2025/6/28

This work is a fundamental attempt to re-examine the concept of self-portraiture in the digital age. While it superficially adopts a visual approach that mimics death metal album covers from the 1990s, it actually explores the complexities of contemporary internet culture and digital identity.
The piece intentionally begins with a static “disguise.” At first glance, it appears to be a somewhat kitschy work—merely a pixelated self-portrait overlaid with a death metal-style logo. However, by pressing the play button, the true essence of the work is revealed. The emergence of a musical interface, created with the Tone.js library, discloses that the visual self-portrait is, in fact, also a musical self-portrait.
When the musical interface is activated, the central self-portrait undergoes further pixelation and abstraction. This represents the deconstruction of physical self-recognition. The individual pixels are no longer components of a face, but instead become musical particles scattered across the screen. Here, the theme of fragmentation and reconstruction of the self within digital environments is embedded.
The notes arranged on the screen from D3 to G3 are not merely musical elements. They serve as an interface through which viewers can actually “perform” the artist’s musical persona. By clicking on each note, viewers can evoke aspects of the artist’s identity while simultaneously adding their own interpretation.
The death metal-inspired “SELF PORTRAIT” logo design is not simply a superficial genre ornamentation. It marks the intersection of digital art and underground music culture. By fusing the anti-establishment spirit of metal music with the experimentalism of internet art, it expresses a critical stance toward conventional notions of self-portraiture.
The combination of Tone.js, HTML5 Canvas, and real-time audio synthesis is an aesthetic decision that goes beyond mere technical choice. What these technologies create is not perfect musical reproduction, but rather an expression that emphasizes the imperfection and plasticity of digital media. The pixelated visual elements and rough digital sounds constitute a deliberate “low-resolution aesthetic.”
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this work lies in its structure of gradual revelation. The initial static screen hints at the superficial self-expression prevalent in today’s social media era. However, the musical aspect that emerges through interaction presents the possibility of deeper and more active self-expression.
The viewer is not a passive observer, but becomes a co-creator of the work. The act of clicking the notes is an act of “performing” another’s identity, and at the same time, an act of generating new meaning through one’s own interpretive filter.
This work embodies the essential characteristic of internet art: “art as process.” Rather than existing as a completed piece, it functions as a living expression that is constantly transformed through interaction with the audience.