People taking pictures of themselves has become a kind of 'normal' thing with the advent of the smartphone. Teens seem to do it regularly, and even the president takes part (which seems to give the practice validity, though he is very consumed with himself). The term 'selfie' has been added to the the dictionary and this self-indulgent practice has spawned a number of YouTube compilations. Some really are just self-indulgent. Others are well-designed and give insight. Still others have an artistic bend to them. But each has two things in common. The first is it is taken by the subject, the second is it is about the subject as an individual.
While the concept of taking regular pictures of a subject is not new, the ease with which it can be done (particularly on an individual level) has improved. As a project for an artist, however, it can yield intriguing results. Nicholas Nixon's study of the Brown Sisters provides a tremendous view of how a subject group, in this case a family, progresses through time. I am not sensitive enough to be moved to tears, though others have been.
My wife and I had very different reactions to the pictures. She focused on the items mentioned in the article, all of which are intriguing. I looked at the individual pictures, seeking to find indications of change and age. While each picture shows differences, I was of the opinion noticeable changes started appearing somewhere around the 16-20 year mark.
