Is this Voyeurism? – At first glance the image looks voyeuristic but be careful of the “Venus Eye Trap” the original shot is of a naked woman in a yoga pose a perfectly acceptable portrayal of health and wellbeing. However add the shadow of a window frame and the image takes on a completely different set of values, we are them lured into the realm of
voyeuristic behaviour which for some in society is a taboo.
How is that an image can switch between two standards and values by digital manipulation,
it is a condition that is being debated daily within the media can we really rely on what we
visually see, after all a photograph is usually looked at but seldom looked in to. “Peeping” at
this sensual image is a delight of decadent art; the watcher who records the supposed crime
(both the artist and consumer of the art) is constructed as being marginal, powerless to act
and so exculpated from any action, a passive subject within a complex pleasure.
Please remember though this particular image was taken with the full knowledge and
permission of the subject, does that exonerate the viewer from having an emotional
attachment or detachment from the image or in fact of feeling uncomfortable? probably
not.
What we have to remember is that all photography by definition is voyeuristic for example a
“street” photograph of people in public places generally taken without permission could be
deemed to be voyeurism, I think its best summed up by a quote from Helmut Newton who
said; “Any photographer who says he’s not a voyeur is either stupid or a liar”…….
© M.J.Sabine 2018
EDITOR'S NOTE
It is usually an extreme attention to detail that floors you with Martin Sabine. But often, it is also a thought provoking tour de force to witness his creations. It demands you look at it for longer than the average 5-15 seconds...if that.