Anonymity

Poklong Anading’s series, Anonymity,(2004-2010) delves into the notion of identity through a photographic exploration of light and space. Subverting the genre of portraiture, the artist obscures the face of each subject through a flash of sunlight that is reflected by a circular hand-held mirror. A halo of light was often used in religious paintings to denote the elevated status of a saint or a holy person but in Poklong’s photographs, this flash of light serves a far more democratic purpose, establishing all individuals on equal ground. At the same time, the obscuration of individual identities serves to shift our focus onto the surrounding spaces. Here details such as clothing, architectural elements, and the captured landscapes become indirect markers of who the subject is. The presentation of the images in multiples expands the notion of identity beyond just the individual, underscoring the continued importance of shared experience in the formation of contemporary societies and nations.