A portrait of facial recognition : Tracing a history of a statistical way of seeing
Lee-Morrison, Lila LU
(2018)
In Philosophy of Photography
9(2).
p.107-130
- Abstract
- Automated facial recognition methods have become widely used as a way to ascertain the identity of individuals. Yet the methods by which facial recognition technologies (FRT) operate – the machinic performance of the perception of the human face – are often invisible to those under their gaze. This article investigates the machinic perception of the face through an FRT method known as eigenface, in order to both reveal and problematize the ways of seeing that underlie it. As part of its algorithmic processes, eigenface produces an image. This image can be understood as a portrait of machine recognition, making visible the processes through which the algorithm performs recognition and ‘sees’ the human face. The eigenface portrait reveals a... (More)
- Automated facial recognition methods have become widely used as a way to ascertain the identity of individuals. Yet the methods by which facial recognition technologies (FRT) operate – the machinic performance of the perception of the human face – are often invisible to those under their gaze. This article investigates the machinic perception of the face through an FRT method known as eigenface, in order to both reveal and problematize the ways of seeing that underlie it. As part of its algorithmic processes, eigenface produces an image. This image can be understood as a portrait of machine recognition, making visible the processes through which the algorithm performs recognition and ‘sees’ the human face. The eigenface portrait reveals a way of seeing that is based on statistical processes of pattern recognition. An analogue antecedent of this application of statistics to the recognition of facial images can be found in the composite portrait. Through a dialectical discussion of composite portraiture in multiple disciplinary fields ranging from sociology to philosophy and the visual arts, this article experiments with providing a cultural and social translation of machine processes of visual perception. The discussion shifts the focus of enquiry towards the aesthetics of the algorithmic process in order to provide an entry point for critique and a possible reimagination on algorithmic knowledge production. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4074afcf-108e-438c-a994-37d48ae66f4c
- author
- Lee-Morrison, Lila
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2018-10-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- automated facial recognition, Visual Culture, biometrics, portraiture, machine vision, identification portraiture, eigenface, Thomas Ruff, Ludwig Wittgenstein, composite portraits
- in
- Philosophy of Photography
- volume
- 9
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 107 - 130
- publisher
- Intellect Ltd.
- ISSN
- 2040-3690
- DOI
- 10.1386/pop.9.2.107_1
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4074afcf-108e-438c-a994-37d48ae66f4c
- date added to LUP
- 2019-05-14 10:53:23
- date last changed
- 2024-05-06 10:56:57
@article{4074afcf-108e-438c-a994-37d48ae66f4c,
abstract = {{Automated facial recognition methods have become widely used as a way to ascertain the identity of individuals. Yet the methods by which facial recognition technologies (FRT) operate – the machinic performance of the perception of the human face – are often invisible to those under their gaze. This article investigates the machinic perception of the face through an FRT method known as eigenface, in order to both reveal and problematize the ways of seeing that underlie it. As part of its algorithmic processes, eigenface produces an image. This image can be understood as a portrait of machine recognition, making visible the processes through which the algorithm performs recognition and ‘sees’ the human face. The eigenface portrait reveals a way of seeing that is based on statistical processes of pattern recognition. An analogue antecedent of this application of statistics to the recognition of facial images can be found in the composite portrait. Through a dialectical discussion of composite portraiture in multiple disciplinary fields ranging from sociology to philosophy and the visual arts, this article experiments with providing a cultural and social translation of machine processes of visual perception. The discussion shifts the focus of enquiry towards the aesthetics of the algorithmic process in order to provide an entry point for critique and a possible reimagination on algorithmic knowledge production.}},
author = {{Lee-Morrison, Lila}},
issn = {{2040-3690}},
keywords = {{automated facial recognition; Visual Culture; biometrics; portraiture; machine vision; identification portraiture; eigenface; Thomas Ruff; Ludwig Wittgenstein; composite portraits}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{10}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{107--130}},
publisher = {{Intellect Ltd.}},
series = {{Philosophy of Photography}},
title = {{A portrait of facial recognition : Tracing a history of a statistical way of seeing}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/pop.9.2.107_1}},
doi = {{10.1386/pop.9.2.107_1}},
volume = {{9}},
year = {{2018}},
}