Politics of Bacteria Possibly 1995 - 2014

Lewis Baltz created "Politics of Bacteria," an installation using photography, digital technology and text, to challenge conventional representation. Baltz began making work in the 1960s, a period marked by significant social and political upheaval. Baltz captured the hidden, often sterile spaces of late capitalism. His lens examines the marginalization and alienation of individuals within the system. The figures he presents have their identity obscured, and their subjectivity seemingly surrendered to the structures of power. The division of text, image and media creates a sense of estrangement. Baltz once said he aimed to reveal the "banal and terrifying" aspects of contemporary life. Here, he critiques the surveillance state, and technology’s increasing influence. It's as if the viewer is placed within a bureaucratic system, one that operates beyond individual control. Baltz invites us to consider our role in a world shaped by unseen forces, where human presence is both pervasive and insignificant.