Alex Harris’ Game Boy Series is interesting in its voyeuristic quality. Harris photographs his son in a way that the presence of the camera seems to disappear from the viewers’ sight. There seems to be an uncensored intimacy to the photographs, as if he were invisible, moving silently, like you would come across a timid animal that you wouldn’t want to spook. This may be in part to the consuming nature of hand held video games coupled with a narrow attention span of an adolescent as well as the familial relationship between the photographer and the subject. However, or why ever this is; I feel like the viewer has access to these small, unfiltered moments where child’s play is never interpreted by the intrusion of an outsider. This lends the images a sense of quite and calmness that contrasts the rapidly changing and dexterous nature of the game boy. Similarly my project is about observation and analysis; a natural curiosity of another human being, of the life shaping right before your eyes (your own child). Almost an anthropological study of sorts, where nuance and detail are analyzed both singularly and as a whole in order to find deeper meaning in ourselves, in others and in culture. The aim is to occupy an objective perspective; looking at all objects and relationships as bearing an equal amount of meaning.
Like Harris, my work requires a certain amount of trust between photographer and subject. Unlike Harris who is watching his son, I am photographing the belongings of my daughter. Although images can be presented to reflect the photographers’ concept, in Harris’s case, his son ultimately controls how he behaves; therefore on some level controlling what images can be made. In the case of my project, I am trusted alone with full access to Mercedes’ belongings- free to look and sort through and present to viewers what I consider interesting. It has an intruder feeling to it- like if a stranger was left alone in your house to go thru all your private and embarrassing secrets. A heavy burden - I question how much of some ones personal life do you reveal and why? Harris says he is looking at the relationship between technology and youth. I think I just want to know my daughter better. At times she is a mystery to me, at other times I wonder if I am “ruining her”. Either way children are interesting- they are mini reflections and mutations- a wellspring for parental guilt.
Both projects record the trappings of culture and ultimately technology. Harris shows us his son’s behavior in contrast to his surroundings, such as in nature, in social situations, in conflict with analog or older toys and activities. Consistently his son’s behavior is both fixated on his game boy and isolated from his surroundings and other people. A shift from more group related interaction towards isolated or mediated interaction is a reflection of modern technology and the onslaught of personal computers, cell phones and hand held games. Harris foreshadows this in many of his images- specifically an image of his son standing in the center of a home theatre sales department, surrounding by big screen tvs- still totally consumed by his game boy. Similarly I am analyzing objects and their juxtapositions to other objects and marking categories of natural vs. man made, analog vs. digital, adolescent vs. pre teen (aka tween) almost subconsciously. Immediately I want to understand each object and their origins, use or purpose, if there is any meaning or sentiment attached to it. Also I am subconsciously comparing my own childhood experience and mental inventory of belongings at that time. Technology and access to technology is the biggest difference. As a cultural marker I make note of the several electronics present.
