The issue of privacy is a complex one, especially in contemporary society where the boundary betw... more The issue of privacy is a complex one, especially in contemporary society where the boundary between public life and private life has greatly eroded; to a great extent, the former has become a mere formality, while the latter is evermore exposed to surveillance by the government, private corporates, or both. The development of the internet and digital technologies further complicated these matters by creating and consolidating an illusion of false publicity as well as a new, upgraded version of Foucauldian panopticon model that disempowers and controls individuals. This essay will explore “the right to privacy” by studying how its meaning and concept have evolved throughout history in our society, why it is still relevant and justified today, how it impacts different groups of people in different ways, what kind of implications can be drawn from terms like ‘surveillance ethics,’ and finally, what kinds of contemporary challenges and political consequences there are when the right is not protected.
Allan Sekula is an American photographer, filmmaker, writer, critic, and activist most renowned f... more Allan Sekula is an American photographer, filmmaker, writer, critic, and activist most renowned for his works that depict conditions of workers in the global maritime economy, as well as for his critical essays that accompany those works. While Sekula often addresses questions of class and labor, in a broader context, his works of photographs also self-consciously distance themselves from two predominant traditions of 20th century photography he deems problematic: estheticism and neutrality. This essay will assess what specific concerns the artist finds troubling in each of these traditions respectively, how his works respond to those issues, and what he hopes to achieve through his practice. Then, I will delve into one of his photographs titled Panorama. Mid-Atlantic, November 1993 and analyze its significance in light of his overall commitment to critical realism.
In this post-Occupy era, discussions and arguments on the relationship between art and politics p... more In this post-Occupy era, discussions and arguments on the relationship between art and politics proliferate. Numerous exhibitions and publications on contemporary art are centered around works that directly reference to or comment on current political issues or concerns such as inequality, job insecurity, climate change, and media censorship. The increasing appearances of such attitude towards politics in the art world made me wonder whether art should have a mission or commitment first of all, and if so, what it means for art to be committed and what kind of commitment should the contemporary art devote itself to. I will begin this essay by assessing these inquiries and then expand them to question an artist’s role in the notion of committed art endorsed by writers Claire Bishop, Ben Davis, and Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy. Two contemporary artists, Thomas Hirschhorn and Claudia Fernández, and their works will be discussed in the exploration of these topics.
The issue of privacy is a complex one, especially in contemporary society where the boundary betw... more The issue of privacy is a complex one, especially in contemporary society where the boundary between public life and private life has greatly eroded; to a great extent, the former has become a mere formality, while the latter is evermore exposed to surveillance by the government, private corporates, or both. The development of the internet and digital technologies further complicated these matters by creating and consolidating an illusion of false publicity as well as a new, upgraded version of Foucauldian panopticon model that disempowers and controls individuals. This essay will explore “the right to privacy” by studying how its meaning and concept have evolved throughout history in our society, why it is still relevant and justified today, how it impacts different groups of people in different ways, what kind of implications can be drawn from terms like ‘surveillance ethics,’ and finally, what kinds of contemporary challenges and political consequences there are when the right is not protected.
Allan Sekula is an American photographer, filmmaker, writer, critic, and activist most renowned f... more Allan Sekula is an American photographer, filmmaker, writer, critic, and activist most renowned for his works that depict conditions of workers in the global maritime economy, as well as for his critical essays that accompany those works. While Sekula often addresses questions of class and labor, in a broader context, his works of photographs also self-consciously distance themselves from two predominant traditions of 20th century photography he deems problematic: estheticism and neutrality. This essay will assess what specific concerns the artist finds troubling in each of these traditions respectively, how his works respond to those issues, and what he hopes to achieve through his practice. Then, I will delve into one of his photographs titled Panorama. Mid-Atlantic, November 1993 and analyze its significance in light of his overall commitment to critical realism.
In this post-Occupy era, discussions and arguments on the relationship between art and politics p... more In this post-Occupy era, discussions and arguments on the relationship between art and politics proliferate. Numerous exhibitions and publications on contemporary art are centered around works that directly reference to or comment on current political issues or concerns such as inequality, job insecurity, climate change, and media censorship. The increasing appearances of such attitude towards politics in the art world made me wonder whether art should have a mission or commitment first of all, and if so, what it means for art to be committed and what kind of commitment should the contemporary art devote itself to. I will begin this essay by assessing these inquiries and then expand them to question an artist’s role in the notion of committed art endorsed by writers Claire Bishop, Ben Davis, and Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy. Two contemporary artists, Thomas Hirschhorn and Claudia Fernández, and their works will be discussed in the exploration of these topics.
Uploads
Drafts by Rachel Lee
Papers by Rachel Lee