ARTIST STATEMENT
Despite an ever-expanding network of digital interactions, studies reveal a growing sense of separation. Conversations with participants have uncovered recurring feelings of emptiness, coldness, and rejection, which are visually represented through personalized environments. These handmade backdrops amplify the sense of estrangement from everyday spaces, underscoring themes of disposability and detachment.
THE PROJECT
The average number of friends on Facebook for a user is 338, however, a youGov poll in the UK found that 22% of British adults reported having no close friends. Loneliness is becoming the major health epidemic of the 21st century, affecting all ages and cultures globally.
To develop this body of work, I’ve spoken to a variety of people who are lonely or have had experience of what it feels like to be lonely.
Key words that came up frequently were the feelings of emptiness, of feeling hollow, cold, isolated, disconnected and discarded.
The aim of my work is to manifest and visualise what loneliness feels like. I’ve asked participating candidates to create their own environment made out of cardboard and to express their feelings.
The process has been and will be documented and might be part of the overall project delivery.
The cardboard backdrops are deliberately placed in a studio environment to enhance the disassociation with the normal everyday environments and to dial up the feeling of forlornness, emptiness and abandonment.
The talent are staged on these individual sets with a sense of feeling empty, hollow, cold, isolated, disconnected, the cardboard accentuating the feeling of being rejected, not having any value and of being discarded.
SBS - Published 14 August 2020 1:53pm
Source: The Conversation It’s hard to admit we’re lonely, here are the signs and how to manage them.
SBS Insight Bromance 27 August 2024
Men are struggling to hold onto friends. How powerful can male friendships be and do we need to rethink what being a mate is all about?
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/news-series/insight
The Age Sat, 24 August 2024 – Australian’s sense of belonging hits GFC lows.
This article cites that one in four 15-24 year olds reported feeling very lonley in 2022 - up from one in five in 2002.
Loneliness awareness week - Annually during the first week of August
https://lonelinessawarenessweek.com.au/