Meg Rossetti

My portraits are based on images that were given to me by the models themselves, mirroring the act of sexting that often takes place between sexual partners. Sending nude pictures as a gesture of intimacy has become fairly common in the 21st Century meaning that revenge porn has followed. These digitally shared images can go viral instantly without any consent from the subject. This new kind of digital intimacy that starts out as a private moment between two consenting adults becomes a weapon used to blackmail, embarrass or shame the victim. Once these photos are sent they are out in the world forever, and oftentimes the subject has no control over their distribution. My paintings have been consensually rendered in an attempt to take control of the secondhand distribution of these snapshots. By affirming them through the context of a canvas in a gallery setting, I hope to take the negative and immoral connotations away from the images.

Moving forward the selfie paintings will be reserved for commission based work only. The initial goal for this project is for the subject to retain control of their own image instead of it being shared without their permission. I feel that the most appropriate way to reiterate this through the paintings is to give that control back to the subject upon completion. Please send me an email if you’re interested in having your own selfie painting or would like more information.

megrossettiart@gmail.com