Ryoo, Ik sang : An Ordinary Gaze

 

 

An Ordinary Gaze

 

 

In my recent photographs, I deal with the concept of relationships and interpersonal communication between friends. I believe that no one is able to live alone on this planet, and I also believe that the most important relationship is the one shared between human beings. Thus, I am naturally inclined to make a lot of acquaintances. Unfortunately, it is hard to make acquaintances into intimate friendships. I have a lot of acquaintances whom I would like to create closer bonds with by connecting with them on a regular bases. One of the hardest obstacles in creating friendships is nourishing bonds, because it takes a lot of effort to give the needed attention to intimate relationships.   I consciously try to put in the effort necessary in flourishing and keeping a friendship. Effort is the difference between having real friendship and a fleeing acquaintanceship that is more a result of having something in common such as age, growing up in the same neighborhood, or having gone to the same school.

 

The best friendships take a lot of effort to maintain, but they seem effortless. Once a strong bond is made, and someone knows you deeply, you can communicate without saying a word. In my recent photographs, I capture the interpersonal communication created through An Ordinary Gaze.

I take photographs of friends while we are engaged in a gaze, so their eyes are never focused on the lens, but on me. It happens quickly, we look at each other and something spiritual happens, something that is not sexual, but still intimate. In other words, during that short period of time, we aren’t just gazing at each other, but we are gazing spiritually into each other. It happens effortlessly and at an instance, but I want to capture the sensibility I see in their eyes.

 

This project will be going on throughout the year, and I’ll accumulate my pictures every 3 years to publish them as a photo book. Only time will tell what photos get published, what photos don’t, which friends I keep, which friends fade away. Only time will tell what the edited and final photo book will look like, this is the most exciting aspect for me personally, because the final photo book will reveal to me how life seems to constantly edit itself, seemingly without effort.

 

 

Ryoo, Ik sang

10/26/2010