PROJECT FILE: 'How Little We Know of Our Neighbors' by Rebecca Baron

How Little We Know of Our Neighbors
Rebecca Baron, 2005
Single-channel video with sound

Rebecca Baron’s film explores the history of the Mass Observation Movement, focusing in particular on the role of photographer Humphrey Spender. Working in the late 1930s, Spender photographed people in public places. He preferred to catch his subjects unawares, often making use of hidden cameras, making his images of normal, everyday life feel like a glimpses behind the social veil of others.

In this clip, the narrator discusses the idea that the camera can be used for the objective measurement of human subjects. This notion is found not only in the work of Spender, Baron argues, but also in that of 19th century thinkers, such as anthropologist Francis Galton and crime scene photographer Alphonse Bertillon, as well as in the enthusiasm for CCTV shown by law enforcement officials today.

Note: this project is not included in the exhibition The New Normal.