Looking at Miriam’s self-portraits through the decades.
The first self-portrait was done in 1949 when Miriam was 14. The world was still in transition from war, the economy was uncertain, and Miriam was in transition from elementary school (there was no middle school then) to becoming a freshman in high school. Questions and changes abound as she continued her artistic passion not knowing where it would lead.
The second self-portrait, almost 10 years later around 1959, shows a young woman in her early twenties, more confident in her artistic ability, focused intently but still peering into the light of the future. Formal schooling now mostly behind her, she was looking to find her place as an artist.
The third self-portrait, done just a few years later around 1961, depicts a dark time in Miriam’s life. It’s a portrait that reflects shifting thoughts, emotions, and despair. This is her most arresting self-portrait, which even today, she has difficulty looking at.
The fourth self-portrait done in 1970, shows a skilled and confident artist painting in her apartment studio in Birmingham, now married and a mother. The colors, red and blue (Miriam’s favorite) show a change in outlook and attitude in contrast to the earlier, more monochromatic self-portraits.
The fifth self-portrait, done in the mid-1970s, shows a mature artist at peace with herself, her work, and her life. Her artistic style in oils has fully matured as she paints in her permanent home studio in Birmingham on Warren Rd. The dress and colors are lighter, brighter, and less formal.
The sixth and seventh self-portraits done in Miriam’s 70s, show her looking out the back door and through the window of her studio. At this point, she is a widow and now a grandmother of five grandchildren, living alone in her Birmingham, Alabama home but looking to the future and wondering what it will bring. The effects of aging now impacting her eyesight and dexterity and trying to impose limits on her artistic expression. One portrait is monochromatic and minimalist, and the other is depicted on a tattered sheet.
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Miriam McClung is an artist from Birmingham, Alabama, and has been creating works of art in oils, pastels, ink, charcoal, pencil and everything in between for over 70 years. You can follow her on her Instagram account @miriammcclungart.