9 Eyes of Google Street View begs the question “what does it mean to be objective?” The photographers of Google Street View were not intentional in creating art; they wanted to collect data. We often think of objectivity, truth, data as singular in form. But Jon Rafman shows us that in these moments of objectivity exists narrative, symmetry, beauty, and humanity.

The photo of the facial piece of a human statue reminds me of the poem “Ozymandias” where a traveller comes across a broken statue of a once grand king. While the Ozymandias called himself the “king of all kings,” all that is left of his legacy is his destroyed statue and lost empire. It’s interesting to see how an “objective lens” can still reference other art, still remind of us of other forms of media.

What is so lovely about the photos with the windows is the lack of performativity. We’ve become conditioned to pose or act in front of a camera. But when there is not intention of capturing a “moment”, you end up capturing many moments like these: ones that show the simplicity of human life.