This is a portrait of myself as one of those ubiquitous large-eyed "World's Best" paperweights from the 70's. All artists think (at least some of the time) that they are the world's best artist -- otherwise it would be impossible to get yourself into the studio. Most of us also experience moments when we think we're utter shit. I think the idea of a mass-produced doll proclaiming each of its owners to be #1 speaks to this sort of self-delusional syndrome.
To play into the stereotype of the artist, I've depicted myself holding a paintbrush and palate even though I am primarily a sculptor. Along with the beret (which I did not include because I modeled the clothing on the clothes I actually wear) the brush and palate are the generally accepted symbols of the artiste.
The figure is supported by a small cluster of mushrooms (you can see the edge of one on the left side of the above photo). I chose mushrooms because they have two opposing symbolic reads. They were a common cutesy decorative motif in 70's homes, but they are also evident in the psychedelic drug culture of the same era.
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