Self-portrait 3 (Tonsure, Marcel Duchamp)

This painting takes as its point of departure the iconic photograph «Tonsure» of Marcel Duchamp, taken by Man Ray in 1921, which shows the back of Duchamp’s head with a star-shaped haircut. The «tonsure,» traditionally associated with medieval religious orders as a sign of renunciation, is reinterpreted here as a gesture of withdrawal from the art system and a veiled reference to his female alter ego, Rrose Sélavy. The five-pointed star, also known as the «Rose of Venus,» adds symbolic depth related to gender ambiguity and multiple identities.

In this work, I replace Duchamp with my own self-portrait —a version of myself, Davis Lisboa— adopting his perspective as a conceptual strategy of appropriation. I appear from behind: bald head, glasses, and a navy-blue zip-up sweater often worn in working-class and unionist environments in Spain, adding a subtle layer of political and social meaning. The background features the Atlantic Ocean at night, painted in cobalt and Prussian blue. Two colorful stars replace the shaved area of the head, turning the religious reference into a visual motif that resonates with Latin American artistic traditions—especially those that blend modernity with popular culture.

This piece belongs to «The Paintings Section from Davis Museum Barcelona», part of the Davis Lisboa Mini-Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona. Founded in 2009 as a “ready-made” sculpture, the museum is recognized as a cultural entity by the Government of Catalonia. The series includes portraits of Duchamp, Filliou, and Broodthaers, as well as still lifes that reinterpret their «personal museums».

I paint on linen canvas using Old Holland oils and Blockx medium. The square format refers to the museum’s symbolic cube, while blue functions as the institutional color that unifies the series.