SELF PORTRAIT

Tryfonos, George Steven

I’m asking questions in my work. What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to grow up in New York? What does it mean to rap? What does it mean to make art? What does it mean to be brown? What does it mean to be mixed? What does it mean to be brown making art? What does it mean to be in love? What does it mean to have the internet and social media? What does it mean to have a brand? What does it mean to get information? What is communication like now? What does it mean to be lonely? What does it mean to be sad? What does it mean to be broke? How do we make money? What does it mean to be smart? What does it mean to be educated? What does it mean to understand? What does it mean to be misunderstood? What does it mean to read certain books and have conversations? What does it mean to move? How do you express yourself now? What is performing now? What does it mean to contribute? What does relevant mean? What matters? What matters in art? What art matters? Who matters?
My project functions primarily as a self-portrait. Exhibited together the 100 names aim to communicate an idealized version of myself told through the most well- known cult favorites that have inspired me through my life. Looking at these names is a way of looking at me. Umberto Eco makes the case that the list is the origin of culture. A tool for the inexpressible. When there’s an almost absence of language. For a kid from Queens these people have been magic.

Basel, 2018