Hye-Ryoung Min is an American-Korean artist whose series Channel 24/7 explores ideas of voyeurism and the unconsciousness of being watched. In this series, she reveals her fascination with watching people as if they were in a television on a "channel". Her windows acted as the television screens and the people in the streets were "actors".
Hye-Ryoung's techniques in capturing her actors puts the viewer into her real perspective. There is multiple things disrupting the field of view, such as branches and the supports of the window. She is taking the photos from what seems like a couple steps back from the window as if not to be seen. This technique captures how anyone might see someone outside on the street, in passing and with the protection of cover from the actor. I was especially intrigued by this method in correlation with her idea of watching the actors as if they were on a screen. Normally, television screens have nothing disrupting their field of view. In fact they are pushed forward the most so that it is the focus of your attention. Instead her approach to photographing with a lot of things in the foreground instills feelings of secrecy and intimacy. I was enticed by her technique because of her decision of disrupting the field of view. It made it feel further and smaller, even a bit eerie. Its like you feel like you know you're doing something a bit bad, but can't help but keep looking.
The idea of voyeurism commonly viewed as taboo or creepy. How would you feel if you were being watched and photographed? I believe the Hye-Ryoung's intentions are a little more sacred. I definitely feel like she is expressing a sense of isolation and observation. She did state that "I have noticed that those moments can be more revealing of their personalities than when they are trying to make a good impression on others". Even though she is talking about the people she is photographing, I think her work is also saying a lot about herself. She had the desire to capture these moments that were so personal and intimate to these people. I believe her purpose of doing so was to invite the viewer into watching the moment with her, right there in that room. It feels familiar but fleeting since all the people captured have literally no intention of remaining the subject of these photos.
Personally, I do a lot of people watching. I even have a favorite spot. At first, I definitely saw Hye-Ryoung's photos as creepy, but then I realized that I do exactly the same thing, just without a camera. I thought to myself "I could never be brave enough to do that", but then again what she was doing wasn't brave at all. These people didn't know and were seemingly unaffected when she photographed them. She also did it in the privacy of her own room. So then maybe it not taking the photos themselves that is brave, its actually sharing these photos. Imagine how vulnerable one would feel admitting taking these photos that in turn took advantage of other peoples' vulnerability. Hye-Ryoung is letting viewers in on a little secret. I was drawn to it because her choices felt more personal rather than posed at all.
Hye-Ryoung's techniques in capturing her actors puts the viewer into her real perspective. There is multiple things disrupting the field of view, such as branches and the supports of the window. She is taking the photos from what seems like a couple steps back from the window as if not to be seen. This technique captures how anyone might see someone outside on the street, in passing and with the protection of cover from the actor. I was especially intrigued by this method in correlation with her idea of watching the actors as if they were on a screen. Normally, television screens have nothing disrupting their field of view. In fact they are pushed forward the most so that it is the focus of your attention. Instead her approach to photographing with a lot of things in the foreground instills feelings of secrecy and intimacy. I was enticed by her technique because of her decision of disrupting the field of view. It made it feel further and smaller, even a bit eerie. Its like you feel like you know you're doing something a bit bad, but can't help but keep looking.
The idea of voyeurism commonly viewed as taboo or creepy. How would you feel if you were being watched and photographed? I believe the Hye-Ryoung's intentions are a little more sacred. I definitely feel like she is expressing a sense of isolation and observation. She did state that "I have noticed that those moments can be more revealing of their personalities than when they are trying to make a good impression on others". Even though she is talking about the people she is photographing, I think her work is also saying a lot about herself. She had the desire to capture these moments that were so personal and intimate to these people. I believe her purpose of doing so was to invite the viewer into watching the moment with her, right there in that room. It feels familiar but fleeting since all the people captured have literally no intention of remaining the subject of these photos.
Personally, I do a lot of people watching. I even have a favorite spot. At first, I definitely saw Hye-Ryoung's photos as creepy, but then I realized that I do exactly the same thing, just without a camera. I thought to myself "I could never be brave enough to do that", but then again what she was doing wasn't brave at all. These people didn't know and were seemingly unaffected when she photographed them. She also did it in the privacy of her own room. So then maybe it not taking the photos themselves that is brave, its actually sharing these photos. Imagine how vulnerable one would feel admitting taking these photos that in turn took advantage of other peoples' vulnerability. Hye-Ryoung is letting viewers in on a little secret. I was drawn to it because her choices felt more personal rather than posed at all.
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