Arts and Culture

This photographer will make you think again about your phone use

Removed is a series of large format black and white photographs that are of individuals performing as if they are using their devices although their phones and tablets have been physically removed from their hands moments prior to the exposure.The original body of work was created in 2014-2015 in North Carolina, United States of America. Since 2016 new work has been created in Paris, India, Veitnam, Myanmar, Singapore, and Indonesia with hopes of expanding these locations in the neat future. Removed avails performance, portraiture, and photography to question the physical utility of personal devices and the ways they influence society, relationships, and the body. The photographed scenes are derived from observations in my daily life. I ask the sitters to reenact my original observations and seconds before the exposure is made, I remove the device from the their hand. The sitter is asked to remain frozen as if they were still engaged with their device. The project is a form of intervention, calling attention to the use of devices by family members and those around me that I do not know. The making of the photograph operates as a way of disrupting the isolation I feel from strangers who barricade themselves behind their technology. This exchange creates new relationships while also asking the viewer to question their own device habits. I am excited by the way the viewer fills in the device at first look. It is as if the device has become one with the body and can be seen when not present.After the project went viral with international demand overnight in late 2015, I have made it a goal to exhibit the work within as many communities as possible. The work is striking when seen online however it becomes transformational when experienced in person as exhibition prints. The photographs operate as mirrors that help viewers question their own use of technology. The smart phone and the Internet will be known as the industrial revolution of our time and these photograp

Seeing things differently: A family in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, are captured in Eric Pickersgill's project Image: Eric Pickersgill, 2018

Ceri Parker
Previously Commissioning Editor, Agenda, World Economic Forum
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Arts and Culture is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
Stay up to date:

Arts and Culture

Removed is a series of large format black and white photographs that are of individuals performing as if they are using their devices although their phones and tablets have been physically removed from their hands moments prior to the exposure.The original body of work was created in 2014-2015 in North Carolina, United States of America. Since 2016 new work has been created in Paris, India, Veitnam, Myanmar, Singapore, and Indonesia with hopes of expanding these locations in the neat future. Removed avails performance, portraiture, and photography to question the physical utility of personal devices and the ways they influence society, relationships, and the body. The photographed scenes are derived from observations in my daily life. I ask the sitters to reenact my original observations and seconds before the exposure is made, I remove the device from the their hand. The sitter is asked to remain frozen as if they were still engaged with their device. The project is a form of intervention, calling attention to the use of devices by family members and those around me that I do not know. The making of the photograph operates as a way of disrupting the isolation I feel from strangers who barricade themselves behind their technology. This exchange creates new relationships while also asking the viewer to question their own device habits. I am excited by the way the viewer fills in the device at first look. It is as if the device has become one with the body and can be seen when not present.After the project went viral with international demand overnight in late 2015, I have made it a goal to exhibit the work within as many communities as possible. The work is striking when seen online however it becomes transformational when experienced in person as exhibition prints. The photographs operate as mirrors that help viewers question their own use of technology. The smart phone and the Internet will be known as the industrial revolution of our time and these photograp
Eric Pickersgill, 2018 Image: ©Eric Pickersgill, 2018
Removed is a series of large format black and white photographs that are of individuals performing as if they are using their devices although their phones and tablets have been physically removed from their hands moments prior to the exposure.The original body of work was created in 2014-2015 in North Carolina, United States of America. Since 2016 new work has been created in Paris, India, Veitnam, Myanmar, Singapore, and Indonesia with hopes of expanding these locations in the neat future. Removed avails performance, portraiture, and photography to question the physical utility of personal devices and the ways they influence society, relationships, and the body. The photographed scenes are derived from observations in my daily life. I ask the sitters to reenact my original observations and seconds before the exposure is made, I remove the device from the their hand. The sitter is asked to remain frozen as if they were still engaged with their device. The project is a form of intervention, calling attention to the use of devices by family members and those around me that I do not know. The making of the photograph operates as a way of disrupting the isolation I feel from strangers who barricade themselves behind their technology. This exchange creates new relationships while also asking the viewer to question their own device habits. I am excited by the way the viewer fills in the device at first look. It is as if the device has become one with the body and can be seen when not present.After the project went viral with international demand overnight in late 2015, I have made it a goal to exhibit the work within as many communities as possible. The work is striking when seen online however it becomes transformational when experienced in person as exhibition prints. The photographs operate as mirrors that help viewers question their own use of technology. The smart phone and the Internet will be known as the industrial revolution of our time and these photograp
Eric Pickersgill, 2018 Image: ©Eric Pickersgill, 2018
Removed is a series of large format black and white photographs that are of individuals performing as if they are using their devices although their phones and tablets have been physically removed from their hands moments prior to the exposure.The original body of work was created in 2014-2015 in North Carolina, United States of America. Since 2016 new work has been created in Paris, India, Veitnam, Myanmar, Singapore, and Indonesia with hopes of expanding these locations in the neat future. Removed avails performance, portraiture, and photography to question the physical utility of personal devices and the ways they influence society, relationships, and the body. The photographed scenes are derived from observations in my daily life. I ask the sitters to reenact my original observations and seconds before the exposure is made, I remove the device from the their hand. The sitter is asked to remain frozen as if they were still engaged with their device. The project is a form of intervention, calling attention to the use of devices by family members and those around me that I do not know. The making of the photograph operates as a way of disrupting the isolation I feel from strangers who barricade themselves behind their technology. This exchange creates new relationships while also asking the viewer to question their own device habits. I am excited by the way the viewer fills in the device at first look. It is as if the device has become one with the body and can be seen when not present.After the project went viral with international demand overnight in late 2015, I have made it a goal to exhibit the work within as many communities as possible. The work is striking when seen online however it becomes transformational when experienced in person as exhibition prints. The photographs operate as mirrors that help viewers question their own use of technology. The smart phone and the Internet will be known as the industrial revolution of our time and these photograp
Eric Pickersgill, 2018 Image: ©Eric Pickersgill, 2018
Removed is a series of large format black and white photographs that are of individuals performing as if they are using their devices although their phones and tablets have been physically removed from their hands moments prior to the exposure.The original body of work was created in 2014-2015 in North Carolina, United States of America. Since 2016 new work has been created in Paris, India, Veitnam, Myanmar, Singapore, and Indonesia with hopes of expanding these locations in the neat future. Removed avails performance, portraiture, and photography to question the physical utility of personal devices and the ways they influence society, relationships, and the body. The photographed scenes are derived from observations in my daily life. I ask the sitters to reenact my original observations and seconds before the exposure is made, I remove the device from the their hand. The sitter is asked to remain frozen as if they were still engaged with their device. The project is a form of intervention, calling attention to the use of devices by family members and those around me that I do not know. The making of the photograph operates as a way of disrupting the isolation I feel from strangers who barricade themselves behind their technology. This exchange creates new relationships while also asking the viewer to question their own device habits. I am excited by the way the viewer fills in the device at first look. It is as if the device has become one with the body and can be seen when not present.After the project went viral with international demand overnight in late 2015, I have made it a goal to exhibit the work within as many communities as possible. The work is striking when seen online however it becomes transformational when experienced in person as exhibition prints. The photographs operate as mirrors that help viewers question their own use of technology. The smart phone and the Internet will be known as the industrial revolution of our time and these photograp
Eric Pickersgill, 2018 Image: ©Eric Pickersgill, 2018
Removed is a series of large format black and white photographs that are of individuals performing as if they are using their devices although their phones and tablets have been physically removed from their hands moments prior to the exposure.The original body of work was created in 2014-2015 in North Carolina, United States of America. Since 2016 new work has been created in Paris, India, Veitnam, Myanmar, Singapore, and Indonesia with hopes of expanding these locations in the neat future. Removed avails performance, portraiture, and photography to question the physical utility of personal devices and the ways they influence society, relationships, and the body. The photographed scenes are derived from observations in my daily life. I ask the sitters to reenact my original observations and seconds before the exposure is made, I remove the device from the their hand. The sitter is asked to remain frozen as if they were still engaged with their device. The project is a form of intervention, calling attention to the use of devices by family members and those around me that I do not know. The making of the photograph operates as a way of disrupting the isolation I feel from strangers who barricade themselves behind their technology. This exchange creates new relationships while also asking the viewer to question their own device habits. I am excited by the way the viewer fills in the device at first look. It is as if the device has become one with the body and can be seen when not present.After the project went viral with international demand overnight in late 2015, I have made it a goal to exhibit the work within as many communities as possible. The work is striking when seen online however it becomes transformational when experienced in person as exhibition prints. The photographs operate as mirrors that help viewers question their own use of technology. The smart phone and the Internet will be known as the industrial revolution of our time and these photograp
Eric Pickersgill, 2018 Image: ©Eric Pickersgill, 2018
Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Share:
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

More on Arts and Culture
See all

2:04

This K-pop song was released in 6 languages thanks to AI

UNESCO adds 18 new sites to its global geoparks network 

United Nations

May 30, 2023

About Us

Events

Media

More from the Forum

Partners & Members

  • Join Us

Language Editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

© 2023 World Economic Forum