People’s persistent interest in the self-image is explored in a new exhibition of work from the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Collection, opening at Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery.

Drawing from QAGOMA’s Australian, Indigenous Australian, Asia Pacific and International collections, ‘Looking Out, Looking In: Exploring the Self-Portrait’ highlights richly diverse approaches to the timeless artistic genre. QAGOMA Director Chris Saines CNZM said ‘Looking Out, Looking In’ had been devised against the backdrop of contemporary ‘selfie’ culture.

‘Society has become increasingly attuned to the self-image through the ubiquity of handheld digital devices, social media and reality TV, all of which create a new context for self-portraiture,’ Mr Saines said. ‘Through historical examples and artworks that reflect contemporary trends, the exhibition reveals significant cultural shifts and identifies the universal themes that still characterise the genre.’ In an age when digital technology has transformed the way people live and interpret their lives, ‘Looking Out, Looking In’ offers a broad and accessible setting in which to consider the contemporary obsession with self. Artists featured include Abdul Abdullah, Davida Allen, Fiona Foley, James Gleeson, Nora Heysen, George W. Lambert, Tracey Moffatt, Yasumasa Morimura, Vincent Namatjira, Luke Roberts, Cindy Sherman and Madonna Staunton, among others.