Sydney Monahan: September 2013

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Throughout the Medium of the Massage there is an extreme sense of disconnect throughout. I think this is the authors way of creating a visual metaphor to his whole idea of showing how the media is scattered and rapidly progressing in possibly not a positive way. He not only plays on the impact of electrical technology which is what most people view technology as, but also as the technologies progression through history. He stressed the importance of how connection and being connected was changing our society. it is so simple to connect to one another that we are virtually living. Also, he believes the way we communicated is crazy and i think the way he lays out the book is a metaphor of that. Chaotic and outlandish as well as confusing is how our society is progressing.

Surveillance Through Articles

Surveillance is an interesting and dynamic technique that many people explore. The ways people use, combat, and understand the idea of surveillance are just as dynamic as the subject. Through reading the two articles The Art of Peeping, and

How Laura Poitras Helped Edward Snowden Spill His Secrets, it has become apparent to me that surveillance is not only more wildly used but also creates a very strong reaction.

The Art of Peeping is a subtler approach to the idea of surveillance in my opinion. Watching people through their windows, which they leave themselves subjected to, is a way to really understand them and see who they really are. Believing that they are completely with themselves and alone is when true character comes out. In an artistic way, Arne Svenson uses this vulnerability to capture moments that can not be encountered in many other ways. As subjected to privacy as these people believe they are, Svenson was merely looking through the glass they installed and subjected themselves to. I don’t think the people he photographed had any right to sue him, not only because they left themselves open to the public, but also because it was his form of art.

How Laura Poitras Helped Edward Snowden Spill His Secrets is a completely different view on surveillance. The people in this article are subjected to government surveillance and are combatting it with careful proximateness and silent travels. Trying to expose aspects of our government created many hardships for these almost “Spies” and gave them and many who side with them, a bad interpretation of surveillance. As a journalist, Poitras believed she had every right to her actions and the government doubted her, oppressed her, and surveilled her against her will. I am outraged by the actions of not only military officials for reporting her for no reason, but for the government to take such extremes for no reason. They were basically asking her to rebel and expose them.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

SURVEILLANCE Part Two

September 4, 2013
Choose one gesture from your list and document it for an additional 24 hours

Outfit changes

woke up and changed out of pajamas into jean shorts, a tank top and a overskirt
came back from class, realized it was too cool for shorts and changed into jeans
came back from my last class and changed into comfortable shorts and a tshirt
changed into jean shorts and a hoodie to go to diner
changed into a tank top and shorts due to heat in dorm room