"Russian Doll" i śmiertelne selfie: tanatyczny wymiar kultury narcyzmu

Critical analysis of the selfie culture uses psychoanalytical theories of narcissism and constitution of the subject. In contemporary culture the latter is put in the spotlight by means of technology that enables self-expression. The genealogy of the discourse on narcissism reveals a conservative involvement of American critics of extreme individualism which is attributed to representatives of minority groups that have gained visibility through the policy of emancipation. In current studies emphasis is put on the positive impact of the excluded, who take control of their own image, and on the constitutive role of images in creating one’s identity. This article analyses selfies taken just before the death of the photographed person and the series Russian Doll. By confronting these productions with one’s own image, the author reveals a space for a reflection on the visual self-expression and mortality of the subject. Technical tools (a screen and a mirror) create new types of identity and provide the opportunity to express them. Condemning individuals for using these tools tends to obscure deeper, both cultural and economic, reasons for people’s participation in the culture of self-expression.