Holy shit.....
THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GROW OLD! THIS IS LITERALLY IT! I'VE SEEN IT!
this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2024
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Me too mate.
Something about this makes me so uncomfortable but not really in a bad way
it's a really well done piece. the mirror and sink being so small and crowded with hygiene products; the hand on the wall behind the mirror, making the framing tighter still. it creates a wild sense of claustrophobia on the right side. the left side is slightly more open, but draws our eyes to the picture of the young boy smiling and all the symbolic relevance of that simpler life is contrasted by the claustrophobic present. the expression of the man isn't necessarily bleak or emotional, just the day to day expression we all wear.
I think we're used to "man I'm older" pieces explicitly spelling out the thoughts and emotions the artist has with the concept and without that, it's hard to tell how the man feels about it. that with the framing of everything is what gives that empty discomfort - at least for me.
It plays with a lot of different depths and angles, bounces back and forth from several different directions simultaneously. It really is a virtuoso performance.
Something in his expression and his eyes, too. He looks haggard like heβs just lived a lot of life, probably not all good and not all bad.
Damn this is a good one. It captures such specific emotions.
The child has sadness and worry in his eyes but is outwardly happy, perhaps hopeful for a better future. The hope and worry are gone in the adult, but the sadness persists. Now it's a tired, worn-down sadness. The possibilities that existed in youth have converged into a simple, predictable future. Get up, get ready for work, go to work, come home, unwind from work, go to sleep, repeat until death.
Maybe this is one the futures the child had hoped for, a life with stability and predictability. That's what he studied and worked for, it's better than many people have. But now that he's on this path with nothing to look forward to but the rest of his life, he'd rather look back on a time that had more hope and possibility.
I love and hate this. Bravo.
Yup, this feels like brushing my teeth in the mirror alone at 39, the man knows his stuff.