THE APOTHEOSIS OF THE SELF — Martin Blanco — Contemporary Figurative Artist

THE APOTHEOSIS OF THE SELF
We can spend so much time becoming the person others want to see that we forget who we are.
2023
Oil on Belgian linen
100 × 220 cm

€9,000

ORIGINAL WORK · AVAILABLE

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THE SELF

What happens when the image we create of ourselves becomes more important than who we actually are?
The Apotheosis of the Self explores ego, vanity and the need for external validation in a world where identity is increasingly constructed, displayed and measured through the eyes of others.

THE STORY BEHIND THE WORK

The importance we place on the self seems to grow constantly. We live increasingly concerned with how we are perceived by others, seeking approval and recognition and, in the process, often reinforcing a sense of vanity that may have little connection with reality.
The work brings together several myths and symbols associated with this construction of the self.
The bitten apple refers to Adam and Eve and their act of rebellion. Its bite deliberately echoes the familiar “Like” icon associated with Facebook, connecting an ancient story of desire and transgression with the contemporary search for approval through social media.
In the lower right corner, the narcissus flower references the myth of Narcissus, who became captivated by his own reflection. The wing refers to Icarus, whose ambition and desire to rise beyond his limits ultimately led to his downfall.
The apple and the narcissus are positioned on opposite sides of the composition, with the light and dark tones of their respective arms reversed. Together they form two complementary sides of the same condition: ego and vanity.
The composition also evokes the structure of a Yin-Yang, although translated into a rectangular format. The apple and the narcissus become the opposing points within each side, while the diagonal created by the two arms establishes the division between them.
Ultimately, the work questions the increasingly blurred boundary between self-knowledge and self-obsession, and between who we are and the image we construct for others.

SYMBOLS & REFERENCES

THE APPLE

The bitten apple references Adam and Eve, representing rebellion, desire and the temptation to cross an established boundary. Its bite echoes the visual language of the Facebook “Like” icon, connecting the biblical story with contemporary forms of social approval.

NARCISSUS

The narcissus flower refers to the myth of Narcissus and his fascination with his own reflection, becoming a symbol of vanity and self-absorption.

ICARUS

The wing references Icarus, whose desire to rise beyond his limits becomes a metaphor for ambition, excess and the dangers of losing sight of reality.

YIN YANG

The composition evokes the structure of Yin-Yang, presenting ego and vanity as opposing but interconnected aspects of the same human condition.

THE TWO SIDES

Ego and vanity are not opposites. They feed each other.
The contrasting arms, light and dark, create two sides of the same psychological landscape — one concerned with how we see ourselves, the other with how we want to be seen.

DETAILS

Details from The Apotheosis of the Self, revealing the symbolic elements embedded within the composition.

THE WORK IN SPACE

100 × 220 cm
A tall-format original whose vertical composition emphasizes the tension between aspiration, self-image and the limits of the individual.