Lectures For Lifelong Learners!

Many artists depict their aging selves in their self-portraiture, others in film or dance. They give us a glimpse into their life reviews, which may include their anxieties about their bodies and status. In a culture that still values youth, we are in the midst of a paradigm shift. On the one hand, we see more older fashion models and depictions of older persons in positions of power. On the other hand, beauty standards still favor the young and powerful, leaving many seniors feeling perplexed and anxious about their self-worth. Some theorists in both psychology and philosophy argue that men experience the aging body differently than women. Yet, we are starting to see artists, such as Joan Semmel, portray themselves in nude self-portraits, which show a confidence in their sexuality that equals that of some men. This would have been unthinkable thirty years ago. In this session, we will inspect the portrayal of the aging self in the arts so that we may better understand the internal experience of aging.