Paparazzi 2001

Curator: Wow, this artwork screams 'sensationalism' to me. Editor: Then you’re likely responding to the themes in Nyoman Masriadi's "Paparazzi" from 2001, an acrylic on canvas piece that immediately confronts you. Curator: It's...jarring. That grinning figure with what looks like a fire reflected in their binoculars. The figure is perched in what seems like a really undignified way and it's fascinatingly awful. What’s with the prison socks? Editor: It’s fascinating how Masriadi uses these exaggerated features and that very intense gaze to explore themes of spectacle and surveillance in media culture. The prison socks combined with what is ostensibly underwear suggests a complete and utter lack of privacy, everything laid bare for all to see. Curator: Right! It is definitely playing on hypervisibility. The work feels satirical, almost mocking the way we consume images and the relentless pursuit of the private lives of public figures. Does he have something to say about the gaze of the other? Editor: Absolutely. He uses that distortion—that grotesque caricature—to turn the viewer into the very “paparazzi” he's critiquing, compelling us to question our role in this intrusive consumption of images. Masriadi addresses the dark sides of media scrutiny through a decidedly maximalist lens, making the image difficult to ignore. Curator: And the technique—the slightly rough, almost unfinished quality. It's not clean, perfect, polished. It enhances that sense of unease, like a quick, unglamorous snapshot. Editor: Precisely. It reinforces the notion of something being captured quickly, crudely even, without any concern for finesse. This almost barbaric depiction acts as a bold reminder of our complicated relationship with image consumption. Curator: This piece manages to be both repulsive and intriguing. It really makes you reflect on your position in this voyeuristic circus we call media. Editor: Indeed, it challenges us to consider the ethics of our own curiosity, to reflect on how the insatiable hunger for scandalous imagery feeds this whole invasive industry. Art provokes the best kind of self-assessment, I feel.