Anna by Ian J Whitmore

Whether you are TV friend or foe, nearly everyone in America is at least familiar with the wooing effects of the television set. They are imbued into the everyday of our culture: we gather at each others' houses for Lost parties, crowd around for the Oscars and Superbowl, and fall asleep night after night to the glow of this electronic box. Years after a series has ended, we make pop-cultural references to the characters of our childhood -- about the moral lessons they taught us, the fashion tips they gave us, or the social scenarios they first introduced us to. What is it about the TV that captivates us, and what does it say about how we see and consume information?

In his series, Channels, Hey, Hot Shot Contestant Ian Whitmore photographs where we place televisions in our households. How do they become a fixation, or mainstay, of our living spaces? Do they dominate the room, or are they hidden away?

He writes:

This work is a visual inquiry into the personal spaces where our televisions reside. This point of contact between the viewer and the world has become customary in contemporary culture--facilitating the exchange of information and the satisfaction of certain desires. In recent years we have developed a collective and public eagerness to peer into each others' life; we see this in our entertainment, news and the Internet. If we view these spaces passively and voyeuristically--the way we view the world through the television--certain questions arise. How are we viewing one another and through which lenses? Through what lens do we find greater authenticity, honesty and clarity?

Whitmore titles his pieces by the homeowner's name, though the person--or persons--are never present. One peers in on their belongings: books, backpacks, posters and trophies, and gets a sense of the dweller. The person is clean or messy, owns a lot or a little, prefers to decorate either sparsely or with gusto. Owning a TV is only as normal as owning a bed, though here, the TV is always on, and a faintly illuminated person on the screen looks back at us. We are made to feel as though we are looking in on them, rather than the TV-owner, a disorienting and thought-provoking role-reversal.

This series brings us to today's 20x200 edition, The Drive with Christine, which also features a television set photographed by Chad Muthard. Here, puzzle pieces meet the screen, blinding the information pouring out from this simple set. It is a conversation, between two people, as well as between the TV and its viewer.

See more on Ian's website and see more HHS! contenders on flickr!