Edge Control: the art exhibition using hidden camera images to explore race and beauty
Artist Deana Lawson uses beauty supply store surveillance images to analyze power and personhood in her exhibition at the Gagosian in New York City
TL;DR
- The "Edge Control" exhibition by Deana Lawson uses surveillance photos from beauty supply stores as a central artistic element.
- These stores primarily sell Black haircare products and are often located in Black neighborhoods but rarely owned by Black people.
- Lawson enlarges and reframes surveillance photos of alleged shoplifters, placing viewers in direct confrontation with the images and their own reflections.
- The exhibition explores themes of beauty industry, consumerism, surveillance, race, agency, and the intersection of power dynamics.
- Lawson intentionally obscures details in the surveillance photos, prompting contemplation on perception and the identification of individuals.
- The exhibit contrasts these with Lawson's personal portraits of Black individuals, presenting a broader spectrum of Black life.
- Viewers are challenged to examine their own biases as they evaluate the subjects within the exhibition.
- The exhibition aims to highlight the vulnerability of individuals under surveillance while fostering a sense of parity among viewers.