I am currently working on a series of portraits that allow the viewer in on private and largely unseen moments in the life of the subject. The subject of each portrait is depicted in the process of preparing to go out in public, usually in front of a mirror. These moments of preparation are moments in which the individual fabricates part of their public identity. By making choices to wear certain clothes or about grooming habits, the subject is either consciously or unconsciously attempting to control the ways in which people perceive their identity.
The viewer will be allowed to step into the shoes of each of the subjects as they stand in front of the image looking at what should be their own reflection. Instead of seeing themselves, they are placed in front of a private moment of another person. The viewer is allowed a certain degree of voyeurism in viewing the formation of the subject’s public identity. The viewer however will inevitably consider their personal routines in comparison to these portraits. The viewer is in many ways an equal part of the portrait because they are in turn looking into a mirror just as the subject is.
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