In Thomas Neal’s series of photos he explores the

concept of ‘civil inattention’, or the act of avoiding eye

contact or interest with anyone in a public space. Bus

Stops, train stations, fish and chip shops, pedestrian

crossing are all times when we maintain our ‘civil

attention’. In each large format photo he sends actors into

the scene and documents as civilians are broken out of their

‘civil attention’ trance performing for the camera.

Thomas Neal is a graduate of Massey University’s

Batchelor of Design and is currently in the States

continuing his research into ‘civil inattention’.

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ARTIST’S ABSTRACT

My interest in public

behaviour developed at a bus stop. I noticed myself wanting

to 'sneak a peek' at the other people at the bus stop but

found myself being very cautious in order to avoid being

caught. I found this confliction of natural instinct and

behavioural norm very interesting.

In my photographs I

have focussed on public areas where groups of individuals

congregate within each other's vicinity and are forced to

share a space over a length of time.

I have been looking

at stranger's interactional behaviour and the 'rules' or

social norms that they abide to, when in this situation. The

main objective of this behaviour is to look 'normal' so that

everyone can carry on with their business without getting

stressed about a 'weirdo' in their vicinity. But to be a

'nobody' in the eyes of others is not actually very simple,

because the body is very symbolic and acts as a

communication device that is constantly 'on'. Therefore,

when the stranger is trying to be a 'nobody' they are

actually 'acting' a particular way. This act or performance

is termed 'civil inattention'.

When people perform

'civil inattention' they will not stand too close, or too

far from each other, they will not stare, but can look (for

a bit), they will not listen to each others conversation (or

at least act like it), they will not face each other

directly, but they wont turn their back on each other

either.

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The next stage of my research was testing

stranger's performance of civil inattention. By having a

camera present and getting actors to run and pose in the

picture, I was breaking the social norm, when they saw us,

there was no way of ignoring us, all they could do was

perform their best ‘civil inattention’ they've had! Or they

gave into their curiosity and watched!

In the end,

when you have the photo and you can view it as

voyeuristically as you like, you are given the opportunity

to examine this behaviour from a safe distance, a

Source: scoop