VISIBILITY IS A TRAP

This title is a nod to Michel Foucault’s theory of Panopticism in ‘Discipline and Punish’, in which an individual is kept under constant scrutiny with no retreat or privacy. For Foucault, the panopticon represents the way in which discipline and punishment work in modern society – it is a diagram of power in action because by looking at a plan of the panopticon, one realizes how the processes of observation and examination operate. It induces a sense of permanent visibility that ensures the functioning of authority.

The use of the reflective tape captures a similar tension, its luminosity signals presence but can also be used to demarcate boundaries. Two yellow reflective bands close in on the painting’s composition, directing the observer’s gaze to only a pair of eyes that look back. The X-Men comic page reveals the moment when Magneto informs the New Mutants of Larry Bodine’s demise. Bodine’s characterisation underscores the need for secrecy about his condition but also craves acceptance from his peers.