Other storiesUnited Kingdom

Are sexy phones dialling down?

“Nobody’s looking at each other. Everybody’s glued to their phones.” The preponderance of mobile phones made street photography unsexy according to Joel Meyerowitz, but then, hasn’t one of the tasks of street photography been to record the world as it is, warts (phones) and all? The world keeps evolving and street photography remains in tandem with it.

Shorter210823, London – 2023

Today’s street scene differs markedly in its cohesiveness, and documenting it should mirror this change. Technology has been the main driver, lending an air of unreality to human interaction. People react more readily to the personal experience of mobile phones and media paraphernalia before interacting with other people. Such habits have altered the look of the social street scene and has instilled the sense of a walled community. A pervasive “absence presence” is evident, with Individual feelings appearing subordinate to a feeling of detachment.

Bankside161017, London – 2017

Perhaps the influence of digital technology on the street scene is already illustrating a boundary between the real and virtual worlds, giving a real city the look of a science fictional one; a precursor of a time when we’re no longer able to discern what is human and what isn’t?

Earnshaw300522, London – 2022
Fore290719, London – 2019
Honey301117, London – 2017
Noble290311, London – 2011
Trafalgar251016, London – 2016
Villiers070814, London – 2014
Support PRIVATE Photo Review Support us today →

StreetMax 21

Born in Scotland, he has shown in festivals and group shows internationally as well as in galleries in the UK, US, Hungary, Greece, Italy… More »

Related Stories

Leave your opinion:

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Check Also
Close
Back to top button
×