Peel - No.3, No.10, No.16

Arnar Omarsson

Foto

53 x 41

Peel is a series of prints juxtaposing two photographs bound to the same location. One is a satellite image capturing an airplane, and the other is a photograph of the sky taken from that same location on the surface of Earth. Together, they define a sphere that reaches from the surface of Earth to a 600 km height of the satellite’s orbit. This work is built on a fundamental photographic concept; gaze. i.e. a critical framing of the act of looking. Who
captures what in which context. These photographs are technical images produced by an orbiting satellite on the one hand and a car mounted camera system on the other. One pointing towards earth, the other way. There is no person who triggers the shutter or considers the framing for each shot. This automated way of capturing images reveals a mass data-collection system built by a private company. Here its important to consider the biases and geo-political aspects of photographing the Earth’s surface from orbit. These images are then stitched together making framing the act of the viewer.