Art & culture
Tomoko Sawada’s ID400: one person, many identities
An automated ID camera becomes the setting for an experiment in appearance.
What would a portrait prove if the same person appeared as hundreds of different people? Tomoko Sawada used an ID-photo machine to turn that question into a body of work. The repeated format makes small differences unusually noticeable.
The documented method
Tokyo Photographic Art Museum’s collection record describes Sawada disguising herself as four hundred imaginary people and using a black-and-white automated ID machine with chemical development. Its ID400 record is dated 1998.
Evidence: Collection record
One work, several catalogue dates
MoMA lists ID400 #101–200 as 1998–2001, comprising 100 gelatin silver prints. That range belongs to the work in its collection. It should not be silently substituted for the date on every individual photograph or every museum’s record.
Evidence: Collection record
A portrait exercise
For a small original experiment, keep the camera position fixed and change just one visible choice between frames: hair, collar, glasses or expression. Compare the sequence before deciding which image looks most like you. Use the exercise to explore presentation; a playful strip is not a substitute for an official ID photograph.
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- Tokyo Photographic Art Museum — Tomoko Sawada, ID400Collection record
- Museum of Modern Art — ID400 #101–200Collection record