Yesterday, while frolicking in the foothills and doing a weekly photo shoot, Kelly took this image of me. My first reaction . . .

Conflicted. This photo is intriguing and beautiful but I don’t like having a black hole for a face. At that time, I attributed my disappointment and desire for a face to human vanity.

A couple of hours later,  I went to the Nick Cave exhibit at the Boise Art Museum. (Nick Cave is a fabric sculptor, dancer, performing artist, as well as the the director of the graduate fashion program at School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Below are some of his wearable sculptures that he calls Soundsuits.)

These human sculptures of Nick Cave without faces made me contemplate the benefits of anonymity. With their faces concealed in these sounds suits, people are playful. They don’t worry about people judging their skin, their weight, their economics, or their gender. The suits  make them feel free. The anonymity places all emphasis on their actions of the wearer.

Even with the suits’ joyous nature, they felt alien and creepy to me. A face expresses whether a person is happy/sad, engaged/disinterested, or friendly/mean. It introduces our individuality to others and starts a dialog.

 Navy blue slip is borrowed from another dress

Without my face, I feel isolated from others and merely an object.

Lacey coat, no label, thrift store

Yellow platform heels, Bamboo, second hand, The Lux Fashion Lounge

Photographer: Kelly Lynae Robinson

Anonymity protects people from judgement and hurt. It also keeps others from connecting. What is the joy of being free to express oneself if one is all alone?