blackdog

19 Dec 2008 • 825 views
 
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photoblog image Streets of London V

Streets of London V

 

EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE... they'll be watching you. In Britain, citizens can be photographed 300 times a day by surveillance cameras. 

Recent studies suggest there are more than four million CCTV cameras in Britain, many fitted with zoom lenses and listening devices. Where they don't have microphones, lip-reading software is now available. During a typical day, a citizen may be captured as many as 300 times. We are by far the most watched-over nation in the world!

The Times 2005

I believe this is one of Banksy's finest.

Streets of London V

 

EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE... they'll be watching you. In Britain, citizens can be photographed 300 times a day by surveillance cameras. 

Recent studies suggest there are more than four million CCTV cameras in Britain, many fitted with zoom lenses and listening devices. Where they don't have microphones, lip-reading software is now available. During a typical day, a citizen may be captured as many as 300 times. We are by far the most watched-over nation in the world!

The Times 2005

I believe this is one of Banksy's finest.

comments (18)

This is sobering stuff Mike: horrible really
blackdog: The finest tool of the nanny state - the unversal, all weather, outdoor baby alarm. Might even be effective if anyone ever looked,,,
A very nice symbolic image Mike!
blackdog: Thanks Richard
It does make me think and should make us all think ... Dear old George got it right when he published his novel back in 1948.

richard
blackdog: Oh yes, and I presume you aren't talking about Wigan Pier ;o) Passive surveillance is one of the places a lot of ratepayers money has gone with no value for money.
We have a government of control freaks....and it is us they want to control!!
blackdog: Government likes an environment of fear and the cameras are to remind us we should be fearful. Passive surveillance is one of the places a lot of ratepayers money has gone with no value for money.
  • anniedog
  • United Kingdom
  • 19 Dec 2008, 10:20
Brilliant use of selective colour here. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it - most of the stuff never gets looked at - they would die of boredom before they could do that! I just hate the idea that people know where I've been.
Ingrid
blackdog: I just hate the waste of money spent perpetuating an atmosphere of fear so that they can appear to be in control.
  • Zeus
  • Sub-tropical London
  • 19 Dec 2008, 10:39
We're being watched? .... uh-oh, how's my hair?
tongue
Gotta see the funny side! H.
blackdog: Thank you Andy Warhol ;o)
  • Philine
  • Germany
  • 19 Dec 2008, 10:52
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU? Since 1984 that has allover (in our country too, the "gläserne Mensch" ) become reality- necessary realtity?
blackdog: Not necessary at all!!! Government likes an atmosphere of fear so that they can appear to be in control.
  • VZ
  • United States
  • 19 Dec 2008, 11:37
Well, from a positive side, everyone is a movie star, or should I say a TV star. smile I wonder where do they store this incredible amount of data?
You know, in Los Angeles they have a TV channel that shows exclusively street/highway police chases 24/7. Would be interesting to know, if people would watch 24/7 what's going on on the streets of, say, London. There are fishing, golf, cooking and many other weird channels, why not a surveilance camera channel on your local cable TV? smile
blackdog: Sorry Viktor, I don't see a positive side to it our Government likes an atmosphere of fear to pervade society, aided and abbetted by the press and media so that they can appear to be in control. Crime rate is unchanged and we are a lot poorer paying for all this self monitoring. *_*
Oh that's great! I'm going to send a link to my colleague Dr David Murukami-Wood who edits the journal 'Suveillance Studies' and is always alarming us by telling us just how awful things have already got!
blackdog: Thanks Ian - I hope he likes it and leaves a comment!
  • rem_la
  • France
  • 19 Dec 2008, 18:07
j'aime bien le petit bonhomme rouge !
blackdog: Je vous remercie ;o)
  • paul
  • United Kingdom
  • 19 Dec 2008, 20:34
it is the way that this has happened without any real debate that gets me too.
blackdog: Absolutely - its not even as if it works!
It is frightening just how the use of CCTV has permeated our society, and just how effective it is may be still open to question. Like him or not Banksy has the rights of it here, Nicely presented indeed.
blackdog: Whatever you thinkk of him, the shear audacity to do this one under the gaze of cctv gets my respect!
  • Ellie
  • England
  • 19 Dec 2008, 23:56
Ghastly isn't it? Not the graffito, the thought if being watched all the time and for no significant benefit either.

Interesting to read the comments from people who don't live here, who don't understand what it's like.
blackdog: It's interesting that I have yet to talk to anyone who feels any safer - in fact quite the opposite, most feel even more threatened. The implication being that if there is a camera then there must be trouble.
  • Brian
  • Thailand
  • 20 Dec 2008, 00:49
How timely, my workplace has just installed four new CCTV cameras and this what I felt watching them go up.
blackdog: Welcome to 1984, just wait until you are recorded every 500 yds as you drive down the street and watched as you shop, go in a bar, have a meal and walk down the road. All we are missing in the UK is the one in the living room!
Being watched so much is why I believe so strongly in the importance of The Pose. smile
blackdog: Well I cannot deny that without the camera there would be a lot less posing! I have included the following link just in case you are in need of fresh inspiration...

http://www.wikihow.com/Pose-for-Portraits

good to hear from you Russell and can only admire your committment to "The Daily Pose". ;o)
great image Mike, surely it would be better to spend all that money on putting cops on the beat.
blackdog: Thanks Tim - I agree entirely, and somewhere to put the offenders when caught!
  • Tracy
  • Staffs England
  • 21 Dec 2008, 15:52
It's so ture Mike you never know who the hell is watching yousmile
blackdog: Only when you are out in the countryside are you safe!
  • Jeff
  • Canada
  • 22 Jan 2009, 03:25
Awesome shot! Love Banksy's stuff. Pretty sweet how he put this up right next to a CCTV.

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