Polish photographer Paweł Piaskiewicz tests the boundaries of anonymity. The series ANO/MONO (2023)questions how far a person can be stripped of their defining traits whilst still maintaining their individuality. The images show figures hidden behind colourful paper shapes. In one, only a glimpse of hair is visible from the side of a pink square, a coat and blanket obscuring their body. Elsewhere, a woman emerges from behind a navy backdrop, as white netting hides her face. Monochromatic colour palettes and simple compositions minimise distractions, allowing small details to stand out. The emergence of a hand, the flow of long hair or the arch of a back all become central to the shot. Viewers are left asking: if this was a person I knew, would I still be able to recognise them? The artist leaves the audience with questions, rather than providing answers.
The series places Piaskiewicz in a long tradition of portrait artists who obscure or hide their models. The term “going dark” is understood as a tactic of visually concealing the body to explore a key tension in contemporary society: the desire to be seen and the desire to be hidden from sight. The concept is so prolific that it was the focus of an exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in 2024, which featured iconic names like David Hammond, Faith Ringgold and Charles White. The method has been a common trope in photography for decades, with pioneering creatives like Francesca Woodman appearing half-hidden in her self-portraits in the 1970s. Fast forward to today, and practitioners like Gerwyn Davies bring the method into the 21st century, combining handmade costumes and strategic digital edits to produce surreal vignettes. Photographers Bastiaan Woudt and Andrea Torres Balaguer mirror Piaskiewicz’s style, showcasing that in a present-day society defined by social media and camera phones, conversations around identity, self-representation and anonymity are more relevant than ever.
Words: Emma Jacob
All images courtesy of the artist.
