#SELFIETHRONE expands portraiture beyond the camera. Blending photography, sculpture, performance, and participation, each installation invites the public to become both subject and photographer, transforming portrait-making into a shared experience.
#SELFIETHRONE began in 2008 when my father discovered a taxidermied bull in an abandoned warehouse he was demolishing. The bull had once traveled the rodeo circuit as a photo prop. I repaired it and asked my father to weld it onto a trailer so I could take it to parades and public events, where people climbed aboard to have their photographs made.
After graduate school, photography and the culture surrounding it had changed dramatically. The rise of the iPhone and social media transformed the way people created and shared photographs. Rather than resisting those changes, I embraced them as an opportunity to rethink portraiture.
Around 2015, the project evolved into #SELFIETHRONE. I introduced the hashtag #SELFIETHRONE and encouraged every participant to share their photographs online. After every event, social media filled with hundreds of portraits, allowing the project to continue long after the installation came down.
As the crowds grew, so did the experience. I grabbed a microphone and began entertaining the audience while people waited in line. Eventually, I started hiring actors to perform alongside me, transforming the wait into part of the artwork. Later, I introduced the Selfieologist, whose role was to help participants create their selfies, remind them how beautiful they were, and invite them to "Come Love Yourself" on the #SELFIETHRONE.
As the project continued to evolve, my ideas outgrew what I could build alone. I began collaborating with neon benders, projection artists, fabricators, programmers, and other makers, allowing each installation to become increasingly immersive and theatrical. What began with a taxidermied bull became the foundation for an ongoing exploration of participatory portraiture that continues to evolve alongside photography and the culture that surrounds it.
The ideas behind #SELFIETHRONE and Quarantine Habitats eventually led me to what I call Party Art.
Party Art invites people to step inside the artwork rather than simply observe it. It is built on participation, collaboration, play, and performance. The audience doesn't just experience the work. They help create it.
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