Michael Zavros 1974–
Michael Zavros can't paint/the wind is whistling through the house 2006
oil on canvas
167 x 210 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, gift of Michael Zavros through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, 2009
Courtest of the artist, Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane, and GRANTPIRRIE, Sydney

William Yang 1943–
Self portrait #2 - My brother Alan, me and my sister Frances c. 1948 2008
photographer: Charlie Young
inkjetprint on Innova Softex paper, edition 1/20
42.5 x 57.0 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2010
Courtesy of the artist and Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane

Originally a documentary photographer, William Yang’s practice has evolved to incorporate autobiography. Many of his photographs are family ‘snaps’, which he has rephotographed and inscribed as a way of acknowledging his Chinese heritage: “… when I started visiting the people on my tours—my family—… I was able to copy some of their photographs and build up a photographic archive… like a historian in some way.”

Luke Roberts 1952–
Self Portrait as Steve Hart 2006
Giclee print on Arches paper, edition 1/30
47 x 53 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2007
Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane

Jeffrey Smart 1921–
Self portrait 1993
oil on canvas
46 x 53 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2003
Courtesy of the artist and Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane

Tracey Moffatt 1960–
Self portrait 1999
hand coloured silver gelatin photograph
33 x 22 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2005
Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney

Mike Parr 1945–
100 Breaths 2003 (installation)
single channel digital video
7.23 min
Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2004
Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane

Xiao Xian Liu 1963–
Reincarnation – Mao, Buddha & I version II 2003 (installation)
coated Lambda photographs, edition 1/3
300 sheets, each 30 x 21 cm
overall 3050 x 7100 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2005
Courtesy of the artist

Anastasia Klose 1978–
My boyfriend dumped me on facebook 2007
digital photograph, edition 1/8
61.4 x 82.0 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2008
Courtesy of the artist and Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne

Anastasia Klose trains a microscope on her life and zooms in. Experiences most would prefer to consign to the closet become the subject of work that comments on the interest we take in others’ misfortune. “People are so attracted to suffering… I don’t want to say it’s the failings of humanity or anything like that. But it’s definitely interesting.”

Mary (Mary Sympson Tovey) Christison c.1850–1879
Self portrait c.1870s
oil on canvas
69.5 x 51.0 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, Gift of the artist's daughter, Mrs Bennett, 1929

Rupert Bunny 1864–1947
Self portrait with palette c.1925
oil on canvas
104.0 x 66.5 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2005

Gordon Bennett 1955–
Self portrait #8 2003
UV inkjet on photographic paper, artist's proof
50 x 50 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2004
Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane

Gordon Bennett uses himself as a vehicle to explode myths surrounding the construction of identity. He has said: “I’m trying to make it obvious… how open it is; how it’s a process of the negotiation of these different sites of memory, human relations. It shouldn’t be a thing that constricts nor should it be an imposed thing, from outside oneself, like a prison.”

Cherine Fahd 1974–
"Hiding" Self portraits 100 days 2009–2010 (detail) 2009–2010
c-type photographs, edition 6/6
100 parts, each 20 x 31 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2010
Courtesy of the artist

The head coverings Cherine Fahd used for this series allowed her to “… take self-portraits while remaining anonymous. It distanced “me” the artist looking at the photographs from “me” the sitter… Why a self-portrait, if I don’t want to be seen? Because I am always available to myself as a subject. I am the subject of convenience.”

William Robinson 1943–
Parody VI 2004
colour lithograph on paper, edition 22/100
27 x 38 cm
Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2006
Courtesy of the artist and Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane

Of these prints William Robinson has said: “The word I prefer to use with regard to my pictures that are humorous is ‘silliness’… I can’t think of a better word... Some artists have painted themselves without any clothing over the years and I think it’s a very strange phenomenon. So I painted myself in a series of parodies… six gentle comments on the ‘art of silliness’”.