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3 opere 30 membri 1 recensione

Sull'Autore

Matt Colquhoun is a writer and photographer from Hull, East Yorkshire. He currently lives in London and blogs at xenogothic.com.

Opere di Matt Colquhoun

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Narcissus in Bloom by Matt Colquhoun is an intriguing history of what has developed into our current concept of the selfie. More important is the analysis of why this phenomenon has become so popular and, in many ways, divisive.

I'll admit to being one of those who find the proliferation of selfies annoying. That doesn't, however, mean I am not interested in why, and I don't buy, to the extent offered by many, the explanation that people are simply more self-centered (used in a pejorative manner). So this analysis is right up my alley, touching on theory I've used and ideas I already accept to place the proliferation of selfies in a different light.

Recovering the myth is essential to this for the simple reason the pop psychology usage is widely accepted as both definitive and comprehensive. Following the history of self-portraits and variations on them ties the theory to the concrete, lets the reader begin to see today's selfies as both a symptom of late capitalism and as a product of changing technology (drawing and painting to cameras with mirrors and long shutter release cables, to the ever-present cell phone with lenses facing both directions).

If you are at all curious about why people will risk life and limb to get the perfect selfie, and indeed what constitutes a perfect selfie, this book will give you a lot to consider. It isn't a new idea that narcissists tend toward being more insecure than over-confident, more seeking control of their own life than just wanting everyone to notice them, but bringing everything together is where Colquhoun really succeeds. I would highly recommend this to anyone who either takes a lot of selfies or despises their presence everywhere, and everyone in between. You'll come away with a better understanding of both the selfie and our current society.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
… (altro)
½
 
Segnalato
pomo58 | Sep 18, 2023 |

Statistiche

Opere
3
Utenti
30
Popolarità
#449,942
Voto
½ 3.6
Recensioni
1
ISBN
4
Lingue
1