Behind the Mask...

Person - directly from Latin persona - originally "mask, false face," such as those of wood or clay worn by the actors in Roman theatre.

Many of us already know the history behind this word...  A word that - as a society - we tend to identify with.  But it's a concept very far from the truth of the matter...

If I said I photograph the 'real person' I would be missing the point entirely.  That would be like saying I'm trying to capture the 'genuine fake'.

The person is the role.  The part played by an actor...  But we go through life believing ourselves to be the person - completely deluded.

Photography (and more to the point Portraiture) still has a real magic to it.  And I think people truly want to be seen.  Deeper.  More real.  More raw.  

And we worry because we are so regularly out of touch with our real selves, that we are very sceptical trusting someone else to reveal our authenticity.  Or maybe even worse is the underlying question, "will I even recognise it if I see it?"

I get that.

I just wonder which one it is that's worrying...  Is it our true self?

Or is it the mask?

Which one will you show the world tomorrow?