Self-Portrait (feet)

After fighting for the British in World War II, John Coplans devoted his life to art. He moved to San Francisco in 1960 and within a few years cofounded the renowned journal Artforum. In 1984 Coplans began a series in which he documented his own aging body. Detesting the flawless portrayals in fashion advertisements, he favored a bluntly realistic representation of the human figure. Here Coplans zoomed in on the rough texture of his heels. The closeness of lens to subject creates a tension between intimacy and anonymity.