The eye, the lens, and the sphere. A self-portrait by Armando Salas Portugal

Abstract

Amid the walls of Luis Barragán’s rooftop terrace, Armando Salas Portugal took a picture of himself looking through the lens of his camera into a crystal sphere that alters all the components of the image. A picture of a photographer taking his own picture, as in this case, reveals the avantgarde attitude of the author; for if, according to genres and conventions in Western art, a portrait privileges the face and its gestures, how does this self-portrait reveal the author’s face? When Salas Portugal uses the lens instead of his face, does it mean that this is no longer a self-portrait but a picture of a picture? What does this say about the way Salas Portugal conceives himself? The picture we are talking about relates directly to Barragán’s architecture, not only because it was taken there but because Salas Portugal uses this architecture to create an imaginary space where he himself is the sole protagonist. In this way, the ties between both artists are exchanged. This picture is clear contrary to most architectural pictures, where the representation of space becomes inaccurate due to the fact that they lack any reference to human scale. However, the presence of the sphere and its distortions portray a more abstract conception of this setting, granting it a somewhat fictitious role. Being a photographer that concentrated on a critical approach to Mexican modern architecture and its esthetical and technical achievements, Salas Portugal raises debate with this self-portrait, for he places himself at the focal point of space, and becomes the reflection of a new perception, where technique and progress transform and give light to quite the opposite: a sense of permanence. In this way, Salas Portugal has built an imaginary labyrinth for himself that can be considered imaginary architecture.