Every day we are moving from one place to the next in our cities or towns usually giving little thought to whether we are seen or heard along the way. That is just how busy and focused we are as humans. Micro observations are witnessed with limited connection made to our actions, or any thought as to whether it might be recorded. Given our oblivious tendencies it is understandable that, while we might recognize the presence of security cameras as intended to make us feel safe, it is also our instinct to be cautious – even to feel ‘stalked’ in some way. Should the feed from security cameras and satellite footage be left on 24/7, even when there is no immediate danger? Does privacy even exist anymore?

In this Living Studios Project Space collaboration, Living Studios affiliated photographer Gregory Persons and Photographer Julianna Souther focus on photographing intersections, with Persons’ work serving as the centerpiece to Souther’s narrative, “Under Observation” explores the potentially undetected affiliations of moving through one’s day unaware that one’s movements might be under observation. It also raises the question of how the subjects (cars, pedestrians or cyclists) might feel if they realized that their everyday movements were being documented, even if in the name of ‘safety and security’.

About our Project Space collaborations: We encourage local practicing artists to engage and collaborate with artists who participate in our cultural programming. The outcomes of these collaborations are then presented in public spaces throughout our downtown.

More on “Under Observation” a Living Studios (Cornerstone Associates) Project Space collaboration
featuring work by Julianna Souther in collaboration with Greg Persons @ Corvallis Book Bin, April 2021