Before You Now: Capturing the Self in Portraiture

September 3 – December 5, 2024
Reception: September 12 from 5:00pm-7:30pm

Before You Now focuses on the enduring theme of the artist’s self-portrait, as seen in a selection of works from LACMA’s collections of photographs, prints, drawings, videos, and installation art. Primarily featuring contemporary makers, the exhibition is an introduction to seeing American artists as they see themselves—or as they want to be seen by their public. They are shown contemplating their physicality in realistic fashion, highlighting their persona through symbolic tropes, or utilizing humor or conceptual methods to enlighten, exaggerate, or camouflage their reflective selves. Over 50 artists—including Laura Aguilar, Kwame Brathwaite, Kalli Arte Collective, Roger Shimomura, Cindy Sherman, Rodrigo Valenzuela, and June Wayne—display an ongoing fascination with, or return to, the self-portrait. Before You Now aims to broaden the topic to include many whose practice leans into an autobiographical narrative, and explores artists who are adding to and redefining our culture by expanding on ideas of identity.

To view more videos in this series, visit the LACMA YouTube Channel

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, Riverside Art Museum (RAM) and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture (The Cheech) have provided these images for non-commercial purposes only associated with its own exhibitions. All images, if reproduced by approved entities, must be fully captioned (bearing full image credit and proper copyright/photo credit). Each image must be reproduced in its entirety, unaltered with no cropping, overprinting, bleeding off the page, or superimposing, unless permission has been granted by RAM and/or The Cheech. Images may not be manipulated or animated. RAM and The Cheech do not allow reproductions on color stock or color washing or bleeding of images. Images may only be reproduced in full color or black and white.For more information and to request non-commercial approval, please contact Jen Kanter at jkanter@riversideartmuseum.org.

All artwork dimensions below are height x width in inches. All images are linked below.

Zig Jackson, China Basin District (San Francisco), 1997, printed 2019, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by the Ralph M. Parsons Fund, © Zig Jackson 1997, digital image courtesy of Museum Associates/LACMA

Kalli Arte Collective, Self Help Graphics, Familia, 2022, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by the Prints and Drawings Special Purpose Fund, © Kalli Arte Collective, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Jennifer Moon, You can kill my body, but you can’t kill my soul, 2013, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Audrey and Sydney Irmas Collection, © Jennifer Moon, courtesy of the artist and Commonwealth and Council, photo by Patrick Connor

Wendy Red Star, Indian Summer, 2006, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Loren G. Lipson, M.D., © Wendy Red Star, digital image courtesy of Museum Associates/LACMA

Roger Shimomura, Kansas Samurai, 2004, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of artist, © Roger Shimomura, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Stephanie Syjuco, Cargo Cults: Java Bunny, 2016, Los Angeles County Museum of Art,purchased with funds provided by the Ralph M. Parsons Fund, © Stephanie Syjuco, courtesy the artist; Ryan Lee Gallery, New York; Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco; and Silverlens, Manila

Rodrigo Valenzuela, Mask #2, 2018, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by the Ralph M. Parsons Fund, © Rodrigo Valenzuela, digital image courtesy of the artist

June Wayne, Noon Self, 1973, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of the artist, © 2023 June Wayne Collection / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY, photo © Museum
Associates/LACMA

Frederick Weston, Body Maps (Arms), 2017, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Burton Aaron, © The Estate of Frederick Weston, courtesy of Gordon Robichaux, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

This exhibition was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in collaboration with the Riverside Art Museum; California State University, Northridge, Art Galleries; Lancaster Museum of Art and History; and Vincent Price Art Museum at East Los Angeles College.