In the Playroom by Jonathan Hobin: Art or Kidsploitation?


Photo: Jonathan Hobin

Is it art or just kidsploitation? Photographer Jonathan Hobin describes his photograph series In the Playroom as such:

In the Playroom is a metaphor for the impossibility of a protective space safe from the reach of modern media. The quizzical disposition of youth and the pervasive nature of the media are symbolically represented in my images through tableau-vivant re-enactments of the very current events that adults might wish to keep out of their child’s world. Just as children make a game of pretending to be adults as a way to prepare and ultimately take on these roles in later life, so too do they explore things that they hear or see, whether or not they completely understand the magnitude of the event or the implications of their play.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/In-The-Playroom/1245693 - via Nerdcore


@bearfoot, you took the words right out of my mouth. you want exploitation of children? go watch toddlers & tiaras. there's something to get angry about. all i see here is a poignant commentary on the contrast of the kid world and the adult world...
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
awful...what's next, starving a bunch of kids and parading them behind barbed wire fences on their way to the family fireplace? protesting the horrors of abu ghraib is fine, but there is absolutely no reason to put children in the scene for the sake of shock value. sick!
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Not entirely offensive, though it looks like he really tried.

Thing is, are kids really playing games like that, or is he projecting and posing them like mannequins? This seems to take away their humanity when he turns them into mere conveyors of his statements. The staging comes out gimmicky and, ultimately, uninteresting.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Login to comment.
Click here to access all of this post's 7 comments




Email This Post to a Friend
"In the Playroom by Jonathan Hobin: Art or Kidsploitation?"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More