Product, Range and Distribution: Panopticon

The Panopticon was designed by Jeremy Bentham in the late 18th century. The design for the prison stemmed from the idea that if people know there is a chance that they are being watched then they are less likely to do something bad. With this in mind the prison was designed around a circular watch tower, where guards could stand and view every cell. Although it was physically impossible to view all the prisoners at once, the thought alone that they might be watched effectively controlled their behaviour. The name is also a reference to Panoptes from Greek mythology; he was a giant with a hundred eyes and thus was known to be a very effective watchman.

There are many variations of how he looks as it is really down to the artists interpretation. Below are two that I quite liked the look of. The first one I thought would look good screenprinted, The line drawings are interesting and the parts of white left out really add to it. The second interpretation caught my attention because of the colour and anger shown in his face. It looks like it would be a good illustration of the government. 

The design consists of a circular structure with an "inspection house" or watch tower at its centre, from which the manager or staff of the institution are able to watch the inmates, who are stationed around the perimeter. Bentham conceived the basic plan as being equally applicable to hospitals, schools, sanatoriums, daycares, and asylums, but he devoted most of his efforts to developing a design for a Panopticon prison, and it is his prison which is most widely understood by the term.

I found this drawing online and I like its simple illustrative style. I like the arrows going out fully around the eye as it is a very powerful statement without having to be too detailed.