Trevor Paglen's Surveillance Art Explores Government Secrecy and Space Junk

Trevor Paglen's exhibition delves into the themes of surveillance and secretive governmental operations through three distinct lenses. The Limit Telephotography series reveals hidden locations in Nevada, showcasing N5177C at Gold Coast Terminal (2007) and Large Hangars and Fuel Storage (2005) at the Tonopah Test Range, which are not visible on Google Maps. The Other Night Sky series highlights orbital debris and surveillance satellites, including KEYHOLE/IMPROVED CRYSTAL Near Scorpio (2007) and KEYHOLE IMPROVED CRYSTAL from Glacier Point (2008). Additionally, Paglen's video Drone Vision (2010) presents drone surveillance footage captured by an amateur hacker. His work engages with signals intelligence and the history of American expansionism, drawing on 19th-century landscape traditions and artists like Thomas Demand and Frederic Edwin Church.