UNDER WATCH
Date: 04/08/2026-04/10/2026
Location: Novack Gallery, 145 Hooper StreetThis project examines a shift in my relationship to photography after becoming a photographer. As I spent more time behind the camera, I became increasingly uncomfortable being photographed. The act of facing a camera began to feel less like documentation and more like exposure under surveillance. The images used in this work come from photographs taken of me by my parents, my friends, and by myself. In these images, my body is distorted, blurred, and partially reconstructed through collage. Facial features are fragmented and reassembled, reflecting a sense of instability when the camera is directed toward me. In several works, the background of the photograph is cut open and small cameras are installed behind the image. These cameras transmit live footage to a central monitor, creating an ongoing system of surveillance within the installation. As viewers observe the images, they are simultaneously recorded, shifting the work from a representation of the self to a condition of continuous observation.
Reconstructed Faces
These altered photographs form the visual material of the installation. Drawn from images of my family, my friends, and myself, they are digitally distorted, blurred, and reconstructed before being placed into frames, cameras, and screens. Through this process, familiar images become unstable surfaces where memory, observation, and self-representation begin to break apart.
Interaction & Engagement
The interactive element is activated by the viewer’s presence. As visitors approach the framed works, hidden cameras capture their image and display it on the central monitor in real time. When a face is detected, a green tracking box appears around it, referencing surveillance software and facial recognition systems. The viewer shifts from observer to subject, becoming part of the work’s monitoring structure.