The Panopticon of ©ivilization - a religious piece. (Project Two)

Copyright 2010 Seashia Vang All Rights Reserved

“The Panopticon of Civilization”

[This article is specifically for the United States, but the concept is universal.]

This is a religious piece is called, “The Panopticon of Civilization”. The photo stills were captured by me using Crtl-PrtSc during a rerun of the Juun J. men’s fall fashion show in Seoul, Korea.

Today religion is more widespread than ever. It is socially constructed, widely distributed and is engraved in our minds as a common belief system. This religion that we all worship today does not have a divine deity, but multiple – over ten. Our daily devotion is to that of money. Capitalism, commercialization and consumerism. My piece consists of three images (the film is a connected theme but is not part of the set images), two male models walking down a runway and spectators watching or observing a common ritual. The first model is stepping out from the darkness and the second model has come into the light. He is now captured in a religious aura as believers watch in silence. The last image is of the second model’s back, representing the end to his performance, or the rebirth of a new model.

My idea is that we – anyone who has access to the internet, the west or capitalism, now live in a society that has created its own financial, technological and social panopticon. Whether being the viewer or subject being viewed – or both. What does it truly mean to view or be viewed? Why, who and what creates these stimulants in our visual culture today and are they necessary?

I do not have a set idea about how to read this piece, except for that this is a religious piece. Personally, every time I look at this piece, I get a different interpretation. Here are some things I think about when I view this:

•Power and oppression
•Economic coercion
•Social institutions
•Fashion
•First world problems
•Third world problems
•Hetero-normality and issues about sexuality
•Cultural imperialism
•The western ideal
•Governmental authority
•Social hierarchies
•Classism
•Christianity
•Performance art/Happenings
•Puppet and the puppet master
•Simulacrum
•Big brother
•Freedom and slavery
•Development and pseudo-development
•Exclusion of power
•The 21st century tailor
•The 21st century Asian
•Political power implementation
•Etc. etc. etc…

Who is the spectator?