Digital Ethics Book Project Reflection Format
 

Surveillance Art: Rebellion or Hypocrisy?

Nikki Williams

Friday, March 4th, 2016

http://digitalethics.org/essays/surveillance-art-rebellion-or-hypocrisy/

Surveillance

First Impression:

I think it has something to do with surveillance.

Quote:

"There is no doubt that surveillance art is a unique way for people to comprehend the level to which their privacy is eroding as they move through today’s technologically precocious world"

Reflection Proper:

We live in a world where videos are important to use. We video our dogs running around chasing its tail, our cats swipping and pushing everything we put on the table down, our sons and children saying their first word, video is so important, storage has now been a struggle in our phones. But surveillance of our lives without our knowledge has been a touchy topic. We want to video, we want to be videod, but we want to know and not videod without our knowledge. Many artists nowadays use video as part of their art like Andy Warhol, but Warhol did a different thing, he spliced footage of surveillance video of the actress.

Surveillance in other countries is really widespread. Cities and towns are covered in cameras where the police can go check if something is happening. CCTV has slowly creeped on us. Quezon City has required stores to have CCTV in their shop so if a crime happens near them, the police can go ask for a copy of the captured video and use that as evidence. Here in La Salle campuses along Estrada, recently they installed CCTVs where a barangay office is stationed and someone is constantly checking for anomalies.

Given that surveillance is use for the good, that is good, but many complains that it is a breach of privacy. If everywhere one goes, he can be tracked, it is like the government is constantly tracking him. With the increase of technology, facial recognition is fast coming so tracking someone will be even easier with the number of government cameras doing surveillance. 

5 Things That I've learned:

Andy Warhol is one of the first who videod.

Edie Sedgwick was filmed with a 16mm camera.

30 million surveillance cameras in the United States capture four billion hours of footage a week

Sousveillance, broadcasting life minute by minute

People can access community webcams.

5 Integrative Questions:

What is surveillance?

What is art?

How can artist make surveillance as an art?

How can we protect our privacy with surveillance?

How can the government safe keep our privacy?