Maya Rae Oppenheimer

'Exposed' becomes a loaded word with reference to the photographic medium. An example that immediately springs to mind is the exposure of light to film. Or the exposure of a private moment. It is also the sentiment visitors may experience after viewing the Tate Modern's similarly named exhibition.

A conglomeration of 250 works by image makers, Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance & the Camera addresses the medium of photography by questioning what we consider 'artistic' or, indeed, a 'photograph', and how we feel about living in an age replete with images and recording devices.

Because the exhibition addresses such a loaded, broad topic, the curators designed a deliberate thought-path beginning with introductory ideas of the 'unseen photographer' and their technologies through to dense considerations of the poetics of awareness and surveillance.

This progression strides five cohesive sections, the first of which equips the gallery viewer with a crash-course in surveillance photography (including the coveted shoe with hidden-camera). Pairing a series by Philip-Lorca diCorcia (2000) of images of modern-day New Yorkers photographed as they traverse a skillfully concealed stage of camera lenses and lighting with Walker Evan's portfolio, Subway Passengers (1930s) sets the stage well; we have always been innately interested in observing each other.

What follows is a palimpsest of images from popular culture to the dark corners of society. Traversing rooms that build themes such as 'Celebrity & the Public Gaze', which contains well-circulated images of the rich and famous (Paris Hilton under arrest, Elizabeth Taylor canoodling with Richard Burton) or 'Voyeurism & Desire' delineates how invasive photographs can be.

In a time when personal devices (phones, computers, digital cameras) allow us to capture mundane moments (pub nights, cute pets) as well as impromptu ones (accidents, sunsets), we all have the power to expose. So what is Exposed trying to drive home?

It is not until the end of the exhibition that the real principle emerges. The act of surveillance becomes a self-reflexive activity. From politically fueled espionage (Sophie Ristelheuber, 1990s) to capturing the infrastructure of surveillance (Jonathan Olley, 1999), the final rooms exhibit work that consciously engages with the process and power of surveillance.

While the dense and varied content of the exhibition may seem unwieldy, I prefer to see it as an offering for the viewer, thus allowing them their own set of strategies and tactics with which to consider the theme.

What confirms this is the Tate's provision of an opportunity to engage critically and artistically with the ideas presented therein via a photographic competition in cooperation with the Young Tate Online.