Art & culture
The station booth behind Sawada’s ID400
Sawada’s own account gives the project a practical setting as well as a concept.
A large artwork can begin with a very modest working arrangement. In her artist statement for Canon’s New Cosmos of Photography, Tomoko Sawada explains where she made ID400 and how she changed between its invented characters.
A public working space
Sawada describes an ID camera in a parking area along the Kobe Subway and a public restroom opposite it, where she changed clothes and makeup. Canon identifies the work as a 2000 Special Award winner. The account is the artist’s testimony about her process.
Evidence: Artist statement
Appearance and recognition
In the same statement, Sawada connects the project to the gap between changing outward appearance and a continuing sense of self. Read that alongside the finished series: repetition holds the viewing conditions steady while disguise unsettles recognition. This is a description of her stated motivation, not a psychological diagnosis.
Evidence: Artist statement
Design a repeatable session
If you want to make your own character sequence, prepare changes before the countdown, keep belongings out of the visible frame and save the unedited pictures together. Photograph only with permission in shared spaces. Label the work as your own study rather than copying the artist’s exact characters or reproducing her photographs.
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- Canon New Cosmos of Photography — Tomoko Sawada, ID400Artist statement