Public Project
four givens
Dr. Yalom describes four givens we as human beings will inevitability experience throughout our lifetimes – meaninglessness, death, isolation, and freedom. Of the four givens, it can be argued that isolation is the source of anxiety. As we grow, many of us face the conflict of becoming an individual. We look for ways to confront isolation while trying to establish a personal identity. We find comfort in various ways (social media, a night out to town) but don’t envision that with fusion, comes a loss of self. As we get closer to individualization, the realization of separation from that fusion, at times, leads to doubt, dread, or other deterrents to individualization.
These captured moments are a representation of my developing understanding of the adversity and the emotional outputs that accompany the struggle when confronting isolation. “How does one deal with the realization that isolation is a part of growing?” “How much is one willing to give up in order to gain?” Each captured moment is a part of one’s process of growing as an individual and a thesis to each question that is asked when confronting individuality. While growing this project, I've come to a realization that my work is my personal method of confronting isolation. From walking the roads of various neighborhoods to time in the darkroom, each confrontation leads to personal growth that is reflected in this project.
Irvin D Yalom interview: The grand old man of American psychiatry on
At 83, Irvin D Yalom is an unorthodox and tireless practioner of what he calls 'existential therapy'
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