In his light box self-portrait Artist in Artists’ Bar Rodney Graham imagines the milieu of an abstract Bohemian artist of the 1950s, enhancing the staged scene with paintings specifically produced for this work. In this role, Graham sits in his imagined local hangout, drinking a beer. Beside him on the bench is a package, possibly containing a painting, with which the artist intends to pay for his drink.
In his numerous self-portraits, Graham repeatedly positions himself in historical relation to specific avant-garde movements of modernity. Such references to artistic approaches or art-historical figures occupy a space between tradition and subversion. The line between affectionate homage and ironic detachment, between serious appropriation and clever satire, often remains indeterminate.
