Cities of You

City #35: Hammansa (Adam S)

16 x 20", Gouache and Colored Pencil on Paper

Hammannsa is a city made up of numerous triangular buildings constructed with highly reflective glass. As you walk down the streets of Hammannsa, you notice your visage repeated over the buildings' many surfaces. Every movement, every tilt of your head, is witnessed tens, perhaps hundreds of times in different angles, through different eyes. Citizens claim the purpose for this is to increase vigilance and drastically reduce crime, to which they have succeeded. But there are other unmentioned side effects. Every action in Hammannsa is scrutized by its many angles and views, as in an amphitheater, where every sneer, smile, or sneeze has an audience. A woman's hair blowing in the wind, that momentarily achieves a perfect form, is captured by the infinite eyes of Hammannsa.