There is an undeniable nucleus of initial interest, a question that from the occidental perspective is easy to think about. How does a society really live, each of its members, in a human and social organization which is apparently exemplary and with an enviable lifestyle? There is a feeling that despite enjoying all the comforts of a modern society, the inhabitants of Tokyo are far away from what was, conventionally, understood as an ideal of happiness.
It is easy to find oneself isolated and alone among a crowd. Enjoying the comfort and economic safety is not a synonym of complete personal realization. A frenetic pace of life can ruin any personal initiative and any possibility of creative life.
From this clash, I could observe a dislocation of the people of this huge metropolis, as if they did not strike a balance between feeling isolated and alone among the crowd.
To sum up, the paradox was solved in a manifestation of solitude, in a great distress, in a sensation of individual frustration. Was that possible to detect and turn it into images? A difficulty due to the fact that I had to face up a perception of a completely subjective and debatable reality. It is not easy to show the breathlessness of the Taboo, the passive attitude or the nightmare of routine.—Salvi Danes
Salvi Danes is a Spanish photographer based in Barcelona, Spain. His work has been honored by the Lucie Foundation, Sony World Photography, IPA, and many others. This work is from his series, Dark Isolation: Tokyo.
This post was contributed by photographer Alex Potter
{ 0 comments… add one now }