Crisis Vision: Race and the Cultural Production of Surveillance

Crisis Vision, by Torin Monahan, examines how artists address the racializing aspects of contemporary surveillance, highlighting artists who challenge crisis vision through opacity and white supremacy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 27 September 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

In his book "Crisis Vision," Torin Monahan delves into the profound ways in which artists address the racializing aspects of contemporary surveillance. He examines a diverse range of artists, including Kai Wiedenhöfer, Paolo Cirio, Hank Willis Thomas, Claudia Rankine, and Dread Scott, who engage with what he refers to as "crisis vision." This term encompasses the regimes of racializing surveillance that perpetuate the targeting of black and brown bodies by police and state violence. Monahan argues that many artists continue to adhere to frameworks that prioritize transparency, universality, and individual responsibility, often at the expense of recognizing racial differences. However, there are also artists who challenge crisis vision by subverting transparency and destabilizing hierarchies through the performance of opacity. Whether through fostering a sense of shared responsibility and complicity in the violence perpetuated by crisis vision or critiquing the construction and treatment of vulnerable groups on a global scale, these artists emphasize ethical relations between strangers and prompt viewers to reflect on their own position within unjust social orders.

Introduction:
In the age of ubiquitous surveillance, the racializing dimensions of contemporary surveillance have become increasingly prominent. The proliferation of cameras, facial recognition technology, and data analysis has led to the perpetuation of biases and discrimination against marginalized communities. Artists have responded to this crisis by exploring the ways in which they can confront and challenge the systems of power that perpetuate racial inequality.

Crisis Vision:
Torin Monahan's book "Crisis Vision" takes a deep dive into the artistic responses to the racializing aspects of surveillance. He focuses on a range of artists who engage with what he calls "crisis vision," which encompasses the regimes of racializing surveillance that position black and brown bodies as targets for police and state violence. These artists include Kai Wiedenhöfer, Paolo Cirio, Hank Willis Thomas, Claudia Rankine, and Dread Scott, among others.

Artists' Approach:
Monahan argues that many artists remain invested in frameworks that prioritize transparency, universality, and individual responsibility in ways that often occlude racial difference. These frameworks often promote a sense of individual agency and empowerment, but they fail to address the structural inequalities that perpetuate racial discrimination. By contrast, other artists disrupt crisis vision by confronting white supremacy and destabilizing hierarchies through the performance of opacity.

Challenging Crisis Vision:
These artists challenge the dominant narratives that perpetuate racial profiling and police violence. They subvert transparency by creating works that are visually complex and ambiguous, making it difficult for viewers to discern the true nature of the subjects being surveilled. They also destabilize hierarchies by challenging the power dynamics that exist between the artist and the viewer, as well as between different racial groups.

Implications:
The work of these artists has significant implications for our understanding of the role of art in addressing social justice issues. They remind us that art can be a powerful tool for challenging dominant ideologies and promoting empathy and understanding. By subverting transparency and destabilizing hierarchies, they challenge the ways in which we perceive and interpret the world around us.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, Torin Monahan's book "Crisis Vision" provides a valuable insight into the ways in which artists are responding to the racializing dimensions of contemporary surveillance. By examining the work of a diverse range of artists, he highlights the ways in which art can be used to challenge and disrupt the systems of power that perpetuate racial inequality. The artists featured in the book demonstrate that art has the potential to be a powerful tool for promoting social change and fostering a more just and equitable society.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478016113