By Jerry Zeyan Tang ’21, Features Contributor
Confronted with my unusual experience of loneliness and anxiety in the past 12 months, I gradually shifted my view on the catastrophe of living. Through the lens of documentary photography, I explored the forgiving attitude of coping with solitary and melancholy in this unusual time. To free oneself from the suffering of all humanity, one must accept the invariably melancholic state in which humans are living. Nothing quite provokes the peculiar mixture of discomfort and pleasure that characterizes the melancholy mood as powerfully as solitary driving.
Inspired by “New Topographics” photo exhibition, I want to capture the obvious conflicts between humanity and nature, emphasizing the importance of wondering as a means to regain freedom and self-awareness that our ancestors fortunately possessed in pre-industrial age. On my own somewhere on the road, I may feel both lost and sorrowful, but at the same time, inwardly released and confirmed in my sadness. Solo driving conjoined with image-making is a quest for isolation and self-knowledge.
Furthermore, the project aims to reveal the underlying mental challenges of social distancing, which aggravate the sense of insecurity and the sense of isolation that are prevalent in modern society today. Modern society tends to emphasize buoyancy and cheerfulness. It is impatient with melancholy states. We are always living in a state of conflicts: to feel secure, and yet to be free; to be in close knit communities and yet not to be stifled by the expectations and demands of society; to explore the world and yet to put down deep roots. Rather than fighting the agonizing sufferings of the modern society, we should embrace the melancholy attitude of living. Melancholy should be celebrated as the ideal means of encountering our authentic selves and engaging in a meaningful conversation with the deeper voices that are rarely acknowledged. Through my immersion in different geographical spaces, my alienated perspectives can be confirmed and explored with dignity.
