Monday 9 March 2009

Disengaged, disillusioned, disaffected



"We believed, though, that this had to be some version of what the real thing felt like, but we had wanted something more, something we couldn't quite describe but could feel vividly the lack of." - Muntean/Rosenblum 'Untitled (We believe, though...)

I came to a conclusion for the title of my project today, that being the same one as the title of this blog. Whilst sitting in college today was looking through this book I have on the artists Muntean/Rosenblum, and found myself reflecting on the pieces of writing they place at the bottom of their paintings. It made me think of how we tend to take things for granted, or not really appreciate them properly whilst they are happening, or while we have them. I was sitting eating lunch in McDonalds watching people walk past on the street outside, and there was a middle aged man attemoting to hand out flyers to everyone that walked passed, rushing through their daily lives and taking no notice of him. It kind of made me sad to think that's all he has to do, and how lucky I am, and most people are, with the opportunities and lives we live. We're all searching for something, or want something we haven't got. This isn't supposed to be a reflection of how I'm feeling about myself by the way.. I guess I'm just in a reflective mood, as I've spent all day pondering modern youth culture and how we isolate and alienate ourselves these days with television, consumerism and the internet.

I also read about this cultural syndrome that exists in Japan called Hikikomori, a form of voluntary withdrawal from society, where young men retreat into their rooms and remain there for years as a result of pressure and expectance from parents on their first born child. That's true isolation there, and we aren't even aware of these things happening. Will have to read up more about this for my project..

Anyway...

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