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
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.
in 3...2...1....
"Shocking Anti-American Kiddie Porn racing around the internet today. Sensitive viewers might not want to look...."