Crisis Vision: Race and the Cultural Production of Surveillance

Torin Monahan's book "Crisis Vision" explores how artists confront the racializing dimensions of contemporary surveillance, focusing on artists who engage with crisis vision and challenge white supremacy and destabilizing hierarchies through the performance of opacity.

Format: Paperback / softback
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. Spanning a diverse range of artists, including Kai Wiedenhöfer, Paolo Cirio, Hank Willis Thomas, Claudia Rankine, and Dread Scott, Monahan explores the concept of "crisis vision," which refers to the regimes of racializing surveillance that perpetuate the targeting of black and brown bodies by police and state violence. While some artists persist in employing frameworks that prioritize transparency, universality, and individual responsibility, Monahan argues that these frameworks often overlook the profound racial differences that exist.

However, a select group of artists challenges the status quo by subverting crisis vision through the performance of opacity. By confronting white supremacy and destabilizing hierarchies, these artists emphasize ethical relations between strangers and prompt viewers to critically examine their own position within unjust social orders. Through their work, they seek to foster a recognition of a shared responsibility and complicity for the violence perpetuated by crisis vision while also critiquing the ways in which vulnerable groups are constructed and treated globally.

Monahan's book offers a thought-provoking exploration of the complex interplay between art, politics, and social justice, challenging readers to consider the role of artists in shaping our understanding of the world and advocating for change. By highlighting the work of these visionary artists, "Crisis Vision" serves as a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the racialized dimensions of contemporary surveillance and the urgent need for transformative action.

Weight: 350g
Dimension: 228 x 152 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478018759