Review: Voyeurism As Art
By Coco Mault
Since the invention of cameras it seems people have been thinking of ways to conceal them. Taking photos on the sly is a daring act and the results often display a certain level of honesty. These can become artifacts that offer glimpses into history that otherwise may not have been possible. Take, for instance, Arnold Genthe's Merchant and Body Guard, Old Chinatown; it is a perfect example of a photographer who has captured a man who may have normally shied away from being snapped. This photo, along with many others make up a new and massive exhibit at the Walker Art Center entitled "Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance, and the Camera Since 1870," and after viewing the show it may have people looking over their shoulders and around corners before entering a room.
This exhibition may evoke images of spies and James Bond-style gadgets -- and it certainly devotes some space those kinds of objects, such as a camera with a 90-degree angle lens, or a camera with a lens that could be a button, made to fit through a buttonhole on a shirt. But "Exposed" delves much deeper into acts of voyeurism and surveillance, making the exhibition, at times, disturbing and at other times historic, iconic, exciting and fun.
In 1981, artist Sophie Calle had her mother hire a private detective. Sophie knew she was being followed and so went around to emotionally significant spots and wrote about them. At the conclusion of her "investigation" she received, along with photos, the notes that the private detective had taken. The finished product, entitled The Shadow, is a dichotomy of personal reflection and clinical reporting.
There is a section of the exhibit that is made up of images by paparazzi photographers. A particularly entertaining piece in this section is entitled The Queen plays with Her Corgies by photographer Alison Jackson. The photo looks exactly like it sounds, to a certain extent. It looks like Queen Elizabeth is playing with two Corgie dogs, but in actuality she is watching a butler play with them. Is that how a Queen would play with her dogs? Possibly. But this isn't really the point of the photo. Jackson is playing with people who enjoy candid photos of the elite. Though the photo itself is real, the people are actually look-alikes.
Over 200 photos taken by amateur photographers share the walls with photos by well known image makers. A still from the famous Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination shares the walls with Weegee's famous photo of Marylin Monroe standing on a grate in a white dress, for instance. But in an exhibit such as this one, with additional film and video installations, there are many obscure, rare, and sinister pieces on view, as well.
Like at most museums, not just the Walker, visitors are not allowed to snap any photographs of the exhibits. But in the case of "Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance, and the Camera Since 1870," this rule just seems like an interesting challenge.
"Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance, and the Camera Since 1870" is on view in the Walker Art Center's Friedman Gallery through September 18, 2011. This exhibition contains mature content.
