Art Pick of the Week: Self-Portrait from S.M.S. No. 6
Every week we’re sharing one of our favourite artworks from the AGO Collection for you to see on your next visit.
Ed Bereal. Self-Portrait from SMS No.6 Portfolio, 1968. Offset photo lithograph printed in orange with a linear screen on paper, Sheet (flat): 40.8 × 34.2 cm. Gift of the Trier-Fodor Foundation, 1989. 89/39.2. © William N. Copley Estate
Halloween is almost here! What better way to celebrate than with a spooky Art Pick featuring classic horror’s most iconic monster – Frankenstein? In Self Portrait from S.M.S No. 6, artist Ed Bereal depicts himself as Ygor, alongside Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, in an image from the 1939 film Son of Frankenstein. Currently on view on Level 1 in Gallery 141 (adjacent to the Nicholas Fodor Gallery, Gallery 140), the self-portrait is part of the exhibition Mail Art, Break the Rules: The Shit Must Stop Portfolio, which runs until February 2, 2020.
Ed Bereal was an emerging multimedia artist working out of Los Angeles in the 1960s. Known for his politically charged works, Bereal painted, sculpted and performed pieces that criticized racial stereotypes, the war in Vietnam, gender inequality, political and economic power and police brutality. This included performances by Bodacious Buggerrilla, a street theatre troupe led by Bereal. The group sought to inspire social and political change with plays featuring critical dialogue, staged in public spaces.
So what was Bereal trying to say with Self-Portrait from S.M.S. No. 6? Does his choice to portray himself in the role of Ygor, the reclusive assistant to Dr. Frankenstein, suggest he’s helping to create a monster? Or helpless to stop the horror that was already in motion? With a large body of work that doesn’t shy away from a variety of highly-charged political subjects, we’ll leave it to visitors to interpret what he is trying to say with this eerie self-portrait.
No matter your take on the subject matter, the distribution of this piece was inherently political and subversive by nature. In the late ‘60s, the S.M.S. portfolios were created as a way for artists to rebel against the rigid power structures of the art world. Organized out of New York City, S.M.S. contributing artists were paid a flat fee of $100 regardless of their status. Their works were then meticulously mass printed, assembled into cardboard mailers and sent directly to subscribers. The goal was to bypass the traditional channels of the art world and bring art to a wider audience, while redistributing power to artists and consumers.
What’s your take? Visit Ed Bereal’s Self-Portrait from S.M.S. No. 6 on view now on Level 1 in Gallery 141 (adjacent to the Nicholas Fodor Gallery, Gallery 140), And while you’re there, check out some of the other subversive works on view in Mail Art, Break the Rules: The Shit Must Stop Portfolio.
Stay tuned for next week’s Art Pick.
Admission to the AGO Collection and all special exhibitions is always free for AGO Members, AGO Annual Pass holders and visitors 25 and under.