Portraits Capture the Hypnotic State of Subjects Watching TV

Dormant is about an alien state, one that is commonly visited but not often seen. These people are not actively growing, but still protected inside of their houses, their beds, and their TVs. The quiet and submissive state would regularly indicate sleep, but instead we are confronted with views of people with light in their eyes. What we find is a moment of intimacy between the viewers and subjects through means that are typically distancing.—Michelle Norris

Michelle Norris, a BFA photography student at the University of Georgia, created the series Dormant not as a critique of entertainment culture, but rather as an observation. Her portraits capture the static state of fully disconnecting from the world and watching television—here she gives us a myriad of frozen stares on faces glowing from the screens in front of them.

Feature Shoot Contributing Editor Julia Sabot is the Associate Photo Editor at Dwell.

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