September 4, 2003
Observation on Mass Observation
Quick note from the Q∓A session of a talk on Mass Observation, a project in mass reportage/mass surveillance that began in 1937 in Britain and which gives its title to an exhibit opening today at the Philadelphia ICA. It was a sociological sort of project, involving artists (painters and photographers) at times and involving a lot of hanging around at pubs. It reminded me a bit of Invisible Seattle in the way it invovled others who submitted questionnaires.
The speaker, Prof. Stuart Semmel, concluded by saying that MO’s Web site, despite efforts, hasn’t done much to continue to project today, but that bloggers are the real ones who have taken up the torch. True? Well, I just had to report that observation…