Taeler Johnson

The attempt to disclose our identities has been an endeavor serving many means. As long as photography has existed it has been used as a way to capture someone’s physical identity. In the late 19th century, Alphonse Bertillon invented the mugshot, an image used primarily to document the identity of convicted criminals. This type of image has survived over a century continuing today as a formality in the identification process of incarceration. Other processes of identification have evolved since the first mugshot including fingerprinting and DNA collection. Do these processes accurately reveal the truth of someone’s identity? Are they precise enough to fairly serve as a means of conviction? 

The images in this series follow many of the methods Bertillon used in his identification process, and include contemporary methods of documenting identity. These images are presented as GIFs which are typically used as forms of non serious communication. As a society we tend to view these forms of identification as absolute truth, ignoring the many ways that they can be inaccurate. These methods carry a lot of power when they become the deciding factor in someone's freedom, so it is important that they constantly be scrutinized.

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Mug shot - Front View
GIF
​2020
Mug shot - Side View
GIF 
​2020
Ear exposure
GIF
​2020
Arm measurement
GIF
​2020
Foot measurement
GIF
​2020
Thumb print
GIF
2020
Mouth Swab
GIF 
2020
DNA Collection
GIF
​2020
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