“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. In this way every prediction made by the Party could be shown by documentary evidence to have been correct; nor was any item of news, or any expression of opinion, which conflicted with the needs of the moment, ever allowed to remain on record. All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary.” (Orwell, 2000, p. 42)
Observing how pervasive TV is in the daily life of society and the rampant rise in “reality TV”, “HAL” explores these themes featuring a classic 1950’s television broadcast camera used for daily news production.
“HAL” is unashamedly appropriated from Stanley Kubrick’s science fiction film “2001: A Space Odyssey”, which HAL 9000, a sentient computer, is the primary antagonist in the film. HAL’s physical form is not depicted; However, Hal is represented as a red television eye located throughout a space ship on equipment panels.
“HAL”, in my photos is the television broadcast camera, chosen to convey an anthropomorphic appearance with the obvious representation of HAL’s 9000 famous red camera eye through the multi camera lenses and the red light indicator when TV camera is on.
The appropriation was also inspired by the Juxtaposition of HAL trying to relay information accurately and at the same time withholding the true purpose of the mission; thus reflecting the corporate media.
However, while viewing “2001”, I got the impression that HAL was conflicted in the idea of withholding information; unlike the media corporations and their vested interests, the mouthpiece for global corporations.
It is the Media through the television and other mediums that are telling society, the individual what it is to be normal; as reporters and compilers of information and news are themselves self-censoring and regulating what information is disseminated to keep in favour with their bosses and the people that fund the media.
[1]Consequently, this regulatory coverage has brought to the forefront a change or a metamorphous branch in the use of propaganda. The slogans and the lies of propaganda are still prevalent, but ironically, what has been ringing the bells for many media observers, is the silence. It is this silence, the withholding, and the deliberate non-reporting, which has become an accepted norm for society.
My “HAL” is a reminder that not all is what it seems, that there is always, at least, an omission in the presented package.
[1] Pilger, J. (2007). The Invisible Government. Retrieved 14 March 2012, from www.coldtype.net: http://www.coldtype.net/pilgerbooks.html
