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| Artist Nick Alex stands by his central piece Friday. |
On Friday, July 12, at
the Catamount Arts centre in St. Johnsbury, crowds filled the hall to
study and admire the artwork of two local artists. What they didn't
understand until later was that the art was also studying them.
Nick Alex debuted his art
show "Recasting Robots" on Friday, filling the hall with
dystopian, steampunk renderings of the many ways in which we are
constantly monitored. The overarching theme of Alex's work is a
critique of the Foucauldian, Big Brother world in which we live now.
With a background in sociology and criminal justice, Alex is more
than qualified to comment upon the topic.
Alex's central piece was
a carousel inverted to form a panopticon, a structure originally
designed for prisons by Michel Foucault to replace the system of
corporal punishment. A panopticon places the prisoners in a circle
surrounding a guard tower with blackened windows so that the prisoner
is never certain whether he is being watched. Theoretically, the
prisoner is therefore more likely to self-monitor his own behaviour.
"[It's a] complex
metaphor of how society functions," the artist explained as
people gathered around his main exhibit. On it were photographs of
people riding the carousel inverted around a metal hub reflecting
flashing lights. What caught the eye was the way Alex took a
carousel, something people associate with lighthearted fun, and
turned it into a striking commentary on the state of society and the
government's involvement in the private lives of its citizens.
Nick Alex could not have
read the political climate better when timing the debut of "Recasting
Robots." Governmental monitoring and heavier involvement in
civilian and private sector affairs is a hot topic these days for
voters and politicians alike. Alex's commentary added to the
nationwide conversation in an intelligent, quiet, and sophisticated
way.
When Alex was asked what
he plans to do with "Recasting Robots" and his art career
in general, his answer was a very open-ended "Who knows?"
We look forward to seeing what's next.
