The Tate and Voyeurism
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 9:28 am
There may still be a few in our modern culture who believe that the camera is a devil’s invention and steals a piece of one’s soul when a picture is taken. OK, this is highly unlikely, but the fact is that hidden cameras are everywhere these days, and personal privacy is on the verge of extinction.
The Tate Modern exhibit that opened May 28th offers a startling and thought-provoking perspective on the subject called ‘Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera’.
In the U.K. alone, there are at least five million closed circuit television cameras (CCTV’s), which is one for every twelve citizens, so no matter who you are, where you are or what you’re doing, there’s a good chance that someone is watching. ‘Exposed’ is geared more towards the concept of camera as voyeur rather than as a security measure, evidenced by such displays as shots taken through bordello windows and pictures of couples in a park in Japan, all taken without the knowledge of the subjects.
Tate’s new curator of photography, Simon Baker, said that the exhibition is meant to raise questions about the role of photographic technology in our lives, just who is looking and for what purpose.
The line between journalism and voyeurism is extremely hazy, especially when it comes to celebrities and ‘public figures’. Witness the shot of Paris Hilton, in a police car and in tears, or for that matter the pictures of Jackie Kennedy during and after JKF’s assassination.
More than 250 photographs are featured in the ‘Exposed’ showing, and they range from the mildly amusing to the horribly graphic. Genocide, suicide and just about every human condition from unposed innocence to vicious cruelty and depravity are included, with the common ingredient being the unwitting exposure provided by the camera. The question might come down to morality: who wants to watch, and why?
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