Identity

The characteristics by which a thing (e.g. a product, event, fictional character, concept), a person, or a people (a company, government, or other organization) is definitively known ? as any of these might be identified by a name, signature, sign, symbol, portrait, monogram, flag, heraldic crest, seal, logo, trademark, etc. "Identity" refers to individuality in some ways, and sameness (identical) in others.When the identity of the artist who produced a work has not been established, the artist might be noted as anonymous, unidentified, unknown, school of . . . , circle of . . . , studio of . . . , attributed to . . . , among other such labels.Any person's identity can be understood only as shifting and ever-changing in two ways. First, identity is not fixed: it changes over the course of a lifetime. Second, identity is how one is perceived by others. Resemblance is relative to the culture and the purpose of classification. Many artists have explored issues concerning their own as well as other people's identities, sometimes in the context of interpersonal, intrapersonal, gender, feminist, racial, spiritual, class, or political issues.A mask is something that can be used to conceal a person's identity.An avatar (originating in Hinduism as an incarnation of a god) is an archetype (an embodiment, as of a quality or a concept) or, in cyberspace (online, in virtual reality, chat rooms, or in video or computer games) an avatar is an image, often movable, used to represent or substitute for a user.Quote: "Know thyself." Thales (624?