Title • caged camera

As you can see from the EXIF data, this isn’t quite a straight shot, but I wanted to catch something of the sinister element of these devices. And while I have no principled objection to public safety, I am a little uncomfortable at the increasing tendency to monitor our every move.

This particular camera watches over a small flight of steps that descends from pavement level to a basement entrance to a town hall. Hence the protective enclosure; i.e. it’s within reach of anyone who might wish to subvert the local council’s Big Brother policy. Actually, having said all that, I suspect that if I worked in the basement office that this camera protects I might see things differently.

And I suppose that’s one of the key points: when we’re being watched, it feels invasive, when we’re doing the watching, it makes us feel safe, or safer perhaps. I guess what’s needed is a culture that is safe, rather than one that provides means whereby we can monitor the threats to our safety … but then I always did have a tendency to pursue utopian ideals ;-)