| Summary: | This essay examines Finnish artist Iiu Susiraja’s self-portraits in relation to Western traditions and tropes of the genre from the 20th century until today. I use an iconological/iconographic model to describe and to further interpret the images. The purpose is to find out which norms and conventions, within the art sphere and society as a whole, that Susiraja’s images reproduce or revolt against. Thoughts and concepts from the theory of performativity show that the artist, who also appears in the photos, both imitates and breaks free from different stereotypes concerning gender. Through a never ending masquerade, Susiraja highlights how "femininity" and "masculinity" are constructed acts or performances with no original. The analysis discusses how these self-portraits have potential to subvert prevailing norms concerning sex, gender and the body in our society.
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