CNN tells us of new art in “A photographer secretly snapped strangers’ text messages and turned them into art“. The photographer, Jeff Mermelstein, would quietly snap pictures of text conversations over people’s shoulders. He took these photos of strangers’ texts and put them together in a book titled “#nyc”.
While some question the violation of privacy, Mermelstein disagrees. He feels that taking photos of the messages is like doing street photography. He says these photos do not differ from any other type of street photography. They both involve photographing strangers without consent. Jeff Mermelstein feels quite pleased with his new work.
Opinion on Text Messages
While I think this an interesting art, I disagree with Mermelstein. Street photography may involve strangers, but I find it more invasive. People on the street know others watch them and behave knowing that. Text messages on phones are private conversations. While the person may read them in public, that does not mean the message belongs to the public. What do you think?
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