Darkglass
Consider wearing a piece of
`darkglass' next time you're going to be under video surveillance.
A `darkglass' can be made from a regular piece of glass by painting the
back of it black, and then covering the back with black tape to protect
the finish.
Just putting black cardboard or tape behind glass doesn't usually make
it dark enough to give it the appearance of a `darkwindow' (like the
`darkwindows' on automatic teller machines and automatic toilets).
It needs to be painted black so that there is not a sudden change in
refractive index. Merely placing black cardboard or tape
on the back gives rise to a change
in refractive index (air-glass boundary)
which fails to give the appearance of `darkglass'.
Alternatively, you can buy a sheet of dark plexiglas, etc., and cut a
small piece out for this purpose.
A scrap of wire coming out from behind the `darkglass'
will complete the fashion statement, by giving
the appearance of a rudimentary antenna.
``Dummy'' antennas could become quite fashionable. It used to be commonplace
for people to put ``dummy'' cellular phone antennas on their cars.
Maybe people will start wearing rubber-duckie antennas on their hats
to get a little bit of respect at the
refund/customer-service counter.
There are six shirts with dark plexiglas sewn on the front of each.
None of us know which one has the miniature camera and transmitter.
Make each shirt with a blob of epoxy on the back, and a 9v battery
snap coming out so that nobody will know which if any are real.
As Michel Foucault said "prisoners never know whether or not
they're being watched and therefore must be on their best behaviour
at all times", now it is true that the "guards" (e.g. shopkeepers,
department store security guards, etc.) must also be on their
best behaviour at all times because they also don't know
whether or not images are being recorded. Despite their rules
and regulations prohibiting photography on their premises, there is little
they can say or do in response to a shirt of this kind. By expressing
concern, paranoia, or the like, you'd have the pot calling the kettle
black. This "reflectionist"
piece borrows from the situationist tradition
of appropriating the tools of the opressor, but takes it a step further
by also directing the performance at the opressor as audience.
A shopping trip with darkglass
Return to Slowglass club:
The brighter side of `darkglass'
Privacy issues of wearable cameras
versus surveillance cameras
.
There are six shirts with dark plexiglas sewn on the front of each.
None of us know which one has the miniature camera and transmitter.
Make each shirt with a blob of epoxy on the back, and a 9v battery
snap coming out so that nobody will know which if any are real.
As Michel Foucault said "prisoners never know whether or not
they're being watched and therefore must be on their best behaviour
at all times", now it is true that the "guards" (e.g. shopkeepers,
department store security guards, etc.) must also be on their
best behaviour at all times because they also don't know
whether or not images are being recorded. Despite their rules
and regulations prohibiting photography on their premises, there is little
they can say or do in response to a shirt of this kind. By expressing
concern, paranoia, or the like, you'd have the pot calling the kettle
black. This "reflectionist"
piece borrows from the situationist tradition
of appropriating the tools of the opressor, but takes it a step further
by also directing the performance at the opressor as audience.