Potret Diri Digital dalam Seni dan Budaya Visual - Kusrini Kusrini (Journal of Urban Society's Arts, 2015)
Selfie merupakan bentuk tidak resmi (slang) dari potret diri digital (digital self-portraits). Keberadaannya semakin berkembang. National #Selfie Gallery di London pada 2013 menunjukkan bahwa jenis foto ini memiliki kelayakan untuk masuk galeri dan disebut sebagai karya seni. Sejumlah 19 seniman berfoto selfie dan hasilnya dipamerkan dalam bentuk video berdurasi singkat, masing-masing sekitar 30 detik. Untuk sampai di ruang pamer galeri, foto-foto selfie tersebut melalui tahap kurasi oleh kurator. Terdapat seleksi teknik dengan perangkat yang ada di dunia seni. Pada tahap selanjutnya, foto-foto selfie tersebut masuk galeri. Saat lolos seleksi dan dipamerkan di ruang galeri, serta dinikmati audiens seni, digital self-portraits menjadi sebuah karya seni dengan nilai isi makna seni, termasuk nilai estetis, serta nominal tertentu saat dibeli oleh kolektor. Jenis foto yang mengelilingi masyarakat kota tidak hanya selfie dan potret diri, namun semakin beragam. Di mana pun bertemu dengan foto, hingga dalam pengambilan keputusan maupun tindakan, berdasarkan pada apa yang dilihat. Di ranah ini, foto sudah menjadi bagian dari budaya masyarakat membentuk budaya visual. Dari budaya visual ini, bidang-bidang kehidupan lain ikut terpengaruh. Ketika foto menjadi bagian tidak terpisahkan dari kehidupan ataupun cara hidup masyarakat, bidang lain seperti ekonomi dan sosial turut larut di dalamnya. Perekonomian menjadikan dunia visual sebagai lahan bisnis yang menjanjikan. Dari sisi sosial, masyarakat menggantikan interaksi dan komunikasi langsung dengan media digital. Melihat dan mengukur seseorang dari relasi dari di media sosial, dan menilainya dari visual yang tertampil di jejaring sosial tersebut Selfie is a slang form of digital self-portrait. Now, its development has been increasing. National #Selfie Gallery in London in 2013 showed the eligibility of this type to enter the gallery and called it as a work of art. There were 19 artists taking their selfie and displayed the works in the form of short videos, each was about 30 seconds. Being displayed in the gallery, these photos of selfie had been through stages of curation by curators before they were displayed in the gallery. There was a technique of selection with the existing devices in the art world. When photographs passed the selection and were exhibited in the gallery space, and were enjoyed by the audiences, the digital self-portraits become a work of art which contain the art values in content, including aesthetics, and certain nominal when purchased by collectors. The types of photo surrounding the urban community are not only selfie and self-portrait, but more various upon them. Wherever photos are found, and when taking the decision and action in society, they are much influenced on what are seen. Based upon this realm, they have already become a part of community art which forms the visual culture. From this visual culture, other areas of life are affected. When photos become the inseparable part of life or community way of life, other areas like economic and social are fused within them. The economics makes the visual area becoming the prospective business area. From the social side, the community replaces the interaction and direct communication with the digital media. By having this understanding, we are able to see and measure a person by looking at his/her social relation through the social media, and giving the showed value as being found in its social networking.