Like Self Portrait, Ms. Pac-Man (2020), the focal point in Self Portrait, Space Invaders (2020) is a standalone arcade machine. The message in the original game Space Invaders is as...
Like Self Portrait, Ms. Pac-Man (2020), the focal point in Self Portrait, Space Invaders (2020) is a standalone arcade machine. The message in the original game Space Invaders is as basic as its graphics: when faced with conflict, players have no option but to defend their space and blast enemy invaders away. In this basic structure, the game takes on a very specific individual and cultural meaning, emphasizing shooting, and therefore survival, above all else.
The paint handling on the arcade is rough and tactile. With areas partially distorted and intentionally 'damaged', it sits at odds with the ornately patterned surroundings that are handled with care, precisely and flawlessly presented. The treament of paint is deliberate and adds a further conceptual layer to the work, alluding to the duality of human nuture, which is a fundamental theme that underlines all paintings.
The design graphic on the arcade also features a large, black shadow-like figure lurching towards the player, which could be read as a representation of the shadow self, the unrecognizable alien invader that needs not necessarily to be destroyed but rather integrated. If anything, it is the conscious ego that is damaged as one recognizes the shadow in the self.