I’ve been seeing a lot of articles pop up lately on the importance of our online profile photos.  It seems that we make snap judgements about the people we see online based solely on facial expression in profile photos ( duh? ).  In his paintings, Colombian artist Jesus Leguizamo obscures the faces of his subjects, blurring all expression.  There seems to be a trend in art and photography of obstructing faces.. in these days of status updates and selfies, are we all just sick of ourselves?

In some of Leguizamo’s work, the faces are completely obliterated, leaving nothing but what’s left of the figure to clue us in as to who they are.  In others, the result is a bit more haunting, as we see just enough expression to leave us wanting to know more.

In all the social media swirling around us, it’s tempting to want to put it all out there, to share with the world everything we’re doing and thinking.. and it seems there is a Pavlovian type effect that happens when we do.  Sharing and getting a response makes us want to do more. But when do we cross the line over into sharing too much?  Is it best to lay it all out for the world to see or retain a bit of mystery?

To see more of Jesus Leguizamo‘s work, please visit his website and his portfolio on Saatchi Art.

Second image via the artist’s website.  All other images via Saatchi Art.