Pictures of Identity: 1 - 6

By Ross Caldwell (2012)

Identity is a tricky thing.



Identity seems to be this strange conflict between who we think we are and whoothers think we are. But with the rise of social networking we can easily presentto people exactly who we want to be. When we choose a profile picture onFacebook we’re choosing an identity, a mask for us to show to everyone else. Thepages we like, the comments we post, and the profile pictures we choose, allpresent who we are.



But what effect does this have on our identity? When we try to curate anidentity for our self, what happens to our ‘true identity’? Can a picture or acollection of words ever sum up who we actually are? Are we who we think weare, are we how others see us, or are we how we present ourselves? All three?



This project explores the concept of identity that exists in our modernsociety. The teenagers depicted in these portraits have been photographed withtheir Facebook profile pictures in places where they can freely be themselves.Even though their bodies and faces may be hidden behind artificial colours, glitchesand images of who they present themselves as, in the end these photos stillcapture who they are.

