John Kerry. AP Photo

In a modern alphabet, “S” stands for “selfie”, no doubt. Today, exchanging and posting selfies became one of the main ways to communicate. So what is “selfie”? A selfie is a term for a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a digital camera or camera phone held in the hand or supported by a selfie stick. This is how Wikipedia explains it.

Art critic Jerry Saltz once mentioned that probably it was Kim Kardashian who invented a selfie and thus she made her contribution to the art world. Why not? We know many great artists for their self-portraits. The media changed, and in our digital age a new artist may appear to be considered a genius of selfies.

Selfie became a strong tool of self-expression, for good or bad. Psychologists are suggesting the diagnoses for those who post too many selfies. Teens are experimenting with their postures and photo filters, women take snaps in dressing rooms to show a newly chosen outfit to their girlfriends for, hopefully, an approval. Men often post their biceps when at gyms, or they like to picture themselves driving or riding a *cool* bike.

“Selfies, many of which will be burned into our memories for a very long time, are a permanent part of modern culture,” – Weeder points.

Amanda Seyfried’s selfie, via Instagram

“How big a problem is narcissism?” – The New Yorker asks.

NY Daily News posts a set of 100 pictures of “best selfies”, to their taste. So the selfie sub-culture, obviously, is extremely popular.

Katy Perry’s selfie, via Instagram

But can a selfie be an artwork? We think yes. First, a selfie can be a great tool to document the reality: often, by picturing yourself next to some interesting objects, you can easily show their scale and size. A picture can speak a thousand words, you know. Moreover, selfie can be a work of art, too: creative mind has no limits, and who knows what people can invent to make a most of a selfie, to make it impress and influence like a work of art.

Your selfie can go and win here!

RE:ARTISTE’s Summer Selfie photo contest. #ReartisteSelfie15