Un/Identify- Collaboration by Amy Koenig & Heather Wood

Ongoing collaboration by Amy Koenig and Heather Wood. “To be naked is to be oneself. To be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself. A naked body has to be seen as an object in order to become a nude. (The sight of it as an object stimulates the use of it as an object.) Nakedness reveals itself. Nudity is placed on display. To be naked is to without disguise.” –John Berger Being undressed is often viewed as being in your most vulnerable state. But when you conceal your identity, you might feel powerful enough to do something with no regard to the consequences. In a way, these actions define who you really are. Your face is what everyone sees, so in a way, your face is your mask. This series is a combination of our individual photographic styles. The idea of blending the raw human figure with elements of horror served as our inspiration. Concealing ones identity makes the nude person who is assumed to be exposed into the threat. This causes the viewer to feel vulnerable and uneasy. Our goal is to induce fear and unease in the viewer through imagery. The masked aspect plays on the fact that criminals will often disguise themselves to conceal their identity to avoid repercussions. Our decision to photograph our subjects in unexpected settings is intended to strike fear into the viewer and have them be seen as a threat. We chose to use a filed negative carrier to add to the rawness of the concept and images combined. We feel as if it is reminiscent of old horror film stills.