Un-masking the Truth: Cases of Hidden Identity

This exhibit seeks to examine stories where not all is as it seems. These stories of hidden identity are presented in three different groups according to how the reader relates to the characters and the plot line. The identity of a character or even the plot can be hidden from the other characters or the reader in such a way that the plot hinges on these unknown identities. Throughout the story, a tension builds to the moment when that identity is finally revealed. The images in the first section come from stories where the readers is on a secret that the other characters may not be, exemplified in Tony Di Terlizzi’s illustrations of “Little Red Riding Hood.” In other stories, such as Etienne Delessert’s Moon Theater, the characters explain themselves to the readers. And in the final section, the characters and the readers both come to understand what is happening at the same time.

Curated by Dana Elliot, 2012 Trinkett Clark Intern