Michael Amato
michaelamatophoto.com
michaelamatophoto.com
Grandma's TV Room, October 2014, Archival Pigment Print, 13" x 19", 2017
Jane's Party Barn, October 2017, Archibal Pigment Print, 16" x 20", 2017
“I call this peculiar form of self-hypnosis Narcissus narcosis, a syndrome whereby man remains as unaware of the psychic and social effects of his new technology as a fish of the water it swims in. As a result, precisely at the point where a new media-induced environment becomes all pervasive and transmogrifies our sensory balance, it also becomes invisible.”
-Marshall McLuhan
Fear Culture, USA (Narcissus Narcosis) is a photo essay that examines the prevalence of the 24-hour cable news cycle in the life of the average American. This series of photographs attempts to highlight how omnipresent the television and cable news are in the everyday public and private environments we inhabit. In these photographs imagery from newscasts of past, recent, and current events are contrasted by happy homes and relatable everyday settings. My purpose in developing this project was to draw attention to how a constant stream of breaking news and imminent threats might have a lasting effect on our collective conscious.
This body of work further serves as a reminder to think critically and act rationally in times of national or international crisis. As a society, we cannot allow ourselves to react to sensationalized news coverage of events similar to those featured in this photo essay, or the crises themselves, with racist or xenophobic tendencies. We cannot allow ourselves to be consumed by fear.
-Marshall McLuhan
Fear Culture, USA (Narcissus Narcosis) is a photo essay that examines the prevalence of the 24-hour cable news cycle in the life of the average American. This series of photographs attempts to highlight how omnipresent the television and cable news are in the everyday public and private environments we inhabit. In these photographs imagery from newscasts of past, recent, and current events are contrasted by happy homes and relatable everyday settings. My purpose in developing this project was to draw attention to how a constant stream of breaking news and imminent threats might have a lasting effect on our collective conscious.
This body of work further serves as a reminder to think critically and act rationally in times of national or international crisis. As a society, we cannot allow ourselves to react to sensationalized news coverage of events similar to those featured in this photo essay, or the crises themselves, with racist or xenophobic tendencies. We cannot allow ourselves to be consumed by fear.