'In light of the revival of international interest in performance art, this collection of essays looks afresh at Mike Parr's astonishing contribution to Australian visual culture through his uncompromising practice. To this day, no other Australian artist has manifested the experimental spirit of postmodernism to such a degree. This volume has gathered together writers from across Australia, both long established and emerging, to examine ideas and themes that run throughout the artist's almost 50 year career. Their essays explore Parr's concurrent and reflective thought processes that circle through politics, philosophy, literature and psychoanalysis and, ultimately, revolve around his Self Portrait project.' Directors forward.