We have always been told that beauty is linked to symmetry. In the artistic project called Both Sides Of, photographer Alex John Beck recreates several people’s faces with perfect symmetry. The results of this photographic experiment show that a symmetric face might not be suited for everyone.
A Digital Experiment
Beck’s took a familiar setting, what he calls “boring portraits,” and added his special twist. There are two pictures of each person’s face. They show both sides of the subject’s face mirrored.
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A Clear Difference
At first, the photographer simply wanted to try something new. But he soon noticed that there was an “emotional difference” between the sides.
Split Thoughts
“People sat for the portrait and thought they had only one unified expression,” Beck said. “But the split image revealed that each side had its own subtle and distinct thoughts: one side withdrawn, the other awake and connected.”
A Shocking Surprise
When the subjects saw their mirrored images, their response was not positive at all. Beck said that the result was “jarring” for every single person.
An Error in Beauty Standards?
“There’s an error in the widely-held belief that beauty is rooted in symmetry,” Beck said. “Of course there are rational standards of beauty – but they don’t necessarily apply to what makes a face attractive or beautiful. Attraction is chemical and hormonal, not necessarily visual, so it seems we’ve made a few mistakes in our adoption of absolute standards for physical beauty that apply better to architecture and gardening.”
