The image of:
is rather strange in terms of both the normality of face pixelation and the uniqueness of who this pixelation is aimed at.
The pixelation of facial features is, in my point of view, an interesting yet somehow forgotten element of contemporary portraiture. Perhaps more than the “selfie”,pixelation is in itself an uber portrait that emphesises the pixels in digital images, and the sense of reticence-dread-to-self’s-safety-fear with their wide spread-ability.
In that way, perhaps the if 1pixel portrait should be revisited?
The uniqueness of this image, in my mind is that while power holders knows who these people are, where they served in the army, etc., the pixels are because these people rather remaining un-recognised by their fellow citizens. The fear is not from violence of the state, but that of its citizens – or some of them..
In that way,perhaps this is an image of society that has adopted fear, intimidation and violence as its mode of operation. Its a society that has married elements of state and citizenry violence. In that way, perhaps this could be argued to be a very unique mode of authoritarianism?