máscaras

"Máscaras" is the Spanish word for "Masks". When split into two words: "Más caras", it literally translates: "more faces".

A few months ago my father and I were both sitting behind our computers typing away. His assistant, known as Susy - but actually a male, had just left. Before thinking twice about it, with no further warning the words sprung out of my mouth: "If Susy were a woman, he'd be your girlfriend" I stated. My dad's fingers stopped in midair, his body language showing with ease his discomfort.

-Dad: "Susy, a woman?"

-Me: "Uh, well ya. We've all got a bit of both in us"

Awkward silence. Click click tap tap click tap. We both carried on behind our computers. Me, looking at houses, him, working... "Look dad. What do you think about this one...?"

-Dad: "Susy could never be a woman. Look at him, his lifestyle, how he looks. There is nothing womanly about him!!"

-Me: "If you're still thinking about this it's obviously affected you in some way!"

-Dad: "I just want to understand your obsession with converting men into woman, and vice versa! Where it comes from and why you're so interested in it!?"

As it turns out, in August 2010, I had embarked on researching many topics, such as transsexuals, transvestites, hermaphrodites (and the approaches different cultures give them), gender theories and the obvious questions that usually follow, a few sex change cases, and some Greek mythology to name a few.

In my personal opinion there is no way to reach a conclusion on a topic like this, so I decided I wanted to ask different people -men and woman, gay or straight, of any age- if they'd be interested to let their "other sex" come out for a day and capture it in a portrait. Many didn't understand what I meant exactly. Some were keen immediately, and others took more talking into. Others never came to the party. 

I was the first one to convert myself into a male. 

One of my very best friends was living with me at the time, and we had spoken a lot about what I wanted to do and how to do it, but in order to know how to really go about it, to see if it was even possible, I had to do it myself. We grabbed a bunch of male clothes and I put them on. When I walked out, walking my walk and talking my talk, my friend started laughing. She told me I looked like me, except I was in disguise - in men's clothing. I started re-thinking my every move. Started stepping out of my comfort zone and really thinking about what I wanted to achieve. It took hours! My whole body language started changing, I was different. My voice was deeper, my moves more careless, aggressive. We had somehow become strangers, and it now seemed normal to see myself with "short" hair, and a beard shadow! 

The pictures we shot that day aren't good, but the feeling I achieved was exactly right. That was the place I wanted to take all the other people to! Now I knew how to do it.

I took pictures of 14 people in total, but only displayed 20 pictures of 12 of them. Here are a couple to show you what I ended up with. 

This is me. As a man.

My male friend as a woman. The size of his hand still amazes me.

One of my male acquaintances painting his nails. Hair and nail polish apparently cause quite an impression when put together.

Another male friend of mine. I had 3 photos of him as the exhibitions center piece. Amazing to hear what other men had to say about this "lady"!