Monster, 1988 (Self Portrait) Poster

By Arthur Jafa

A camera, a mirror, a face looking back.

In Arthur Jafa's 1988 self-portrait, the image itself offers few clues to its title. Yet the single word Monster reframes the encounter, revealing how quickly perception can be altered by assumption, language, and inherited social narratives. Created in conjunction with I Am Tony at the New Museum, this 18 × 24 inch poster honors Jafa's enduring investigation into the complexity of Black representation and the space between what is seen and what is projected onto the image before us.

Artwork referenced: Arthur Jafa, Monster, 1988, printed 2017. Gelatin silver print, 10 x 8 in (25.4 x 20.3 cm). © Arthur Jafa. Courtesy the artist and Gladstone.

18" x 24" (W x H); made in NYC.