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 who others think we are. But with the rise of social networking we can easily present to people exactly who we want to be. When we choose a profile picture on Facebook we’re choosing an identity, a mask for us to show to everyone else. The pages we like, the comments we post, and the profile pictures we choose, all present who we are.

But what effect does this have on our identity? When we try to curate an identity for our self, what happens to our ‘true identity’? Can a picture or a collection of words ever sum up who we actually are? Are we who we think we are, 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 modern society. The teenagers depicted in these portraits have been photographed with their Facebook profile pictures in places where they can freely be themselves. Even though their bodies and faces may be hidden behind artificial colours, glitches and images of who they present themselves as, in the end these photos still capture who they are.